


Seven Gifts

by WhenTheSkyDances



Category: Transformers (Bay Movies), Transformers - All Media Types
Genre: Blood and Gore, Dysfunctional Relationships, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Family Issues, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Here there be dragons, Self-Discovery, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-02-27
Updated: 2016-06-30
Packaged: 2018-03-15 10:12:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 11
Words: 33,997
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3443378
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WhenTheSkyDances/pseuds/WhenTheSkyDances
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>{ON HIATUS} <br/>Sorry, dears. This fic was the first of mine to post, and I rushed into it. I'm going to do a serious re-evaluation of the main plot and timeline, and I'm going to revisit the older chapters. I've been neglecting this fic because of its peculiarity, but I am still committed to finishing it. </p><p>I want to thank you most sincerely ahead of time for your patience! <br/>Love, WhenTheSkyDances</p><p>***</p><p>When Soundwave discovers an orb buried in the ruins of the war-torn Crystal City, he takes it back to the Decepticon "mad-scientist" Shockwave. In his laboratory on the space station of Trypticon, Shockwave takes it in for examination. What lurks beneath its fragile walls and what will it mean for Shockwave and the Decepticon cause?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Death On The Wing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I hope it is true that a man can die and yet not only live in others but give them life, and not only life, but that great consciousness of life." - Jack Kerouac

The ancient storage room hadn't been opened in a very long time. During this routine recon and recovery mission in the blackened ruins of the Crystal City, anything that hadn't been opened recently ( _or destroyed_ ) was fair game for any scavengers who passed by. At least Buzzsaw thought this to be true. The objective of his particular recovery mission was to do one last comb-over of the remaining storerooms located in the remains of the once gleaming city. Buzzsaw was to see if there may be anything of potential value left within the old walls, buried in the crystalline rubble. Buzzsaw dipped into the massive city’s looming wreckage in search of a certain science building. Swooping silently through empty streets, the avian minicon stuck to the deepest shadows as he headed towards his target.

_This wouldn't have been such an easy task for any larger bot_ , Buzzsaw mused as he slipped through the cascading walls of a fallen building. _They would've had trouble sneaking and slipping through all these small spaces_. He warbled a bubbling laugh at the mental imagine of a much larger bot attempting to climb through the rubble. With Buzzsaw's diminutive size, finding a way to sneak around was quite simple and not much of a challenge to him. _Being a minicon sure has its advantages_ , Buzzsaw chirped to himself. A burbling growl rumbled out of his throat and quickly changed into a few shallow clicks. The very thought of his miniscule size reminded him of his brother, Lazerbeak, who wasn't overly fond of being a minicon despite its many profitable attributes. Since many bots displayed a blatant mistrust in them ( _well-placed as it may be_ ), Lazerbeak often wished to be larger, or merely hated his minicon dimensions.

Buzzsaw was _very_ different from his twin brother. Where Buzzsaw is outright curious because of his own personal want-to-know, Lazerbeak is only curious of things pertaining to his current mission; anything beyond that was simply useless information that took up the much needed time that could be applied to other, more paramount tasks. Buzzsaw is playful and easy to approach, kindly even; the exact opposite of Lazerbeak. His brother is very harsh-tongued, forceful, and not too kind to any naïve fools who'd attempt to make small talk with him. The avian minicon shook his small head in amazed confusion at their conflicting personalities and went back to the task at hand ( _or claw in his case_ ).

Buzzsaw perched upon a stray piece of a metal beam, his small head rotating around to scan the area. His sharp eyes quickly located the main building, so he took off in the direction of its eastern wing. It was mainly a storage hall, its immense capacity for containment proved to be a delightful target _. Let’s hope there’s something nifty left for the old Buzz-bird_ , the minicon chirped to himself. He slipped in through a busted wall, obviously the most used entrance, and diverted along to hidden crevices in search of something untouched.

Flying deftly through the empty hallways of one of the lower levels of one of Crystal City's science and research buildings, Buzzsaw searched for a room that seemed untouched by the devastation. Many of the larger storerooms were crushed, the ceilings either collapsed and everything inside destroyed, or the rooms had already been raided and picked clean. Even the useless junk was taken. If they were raided by Autobots or Decepticons, or even a roaming neutral, Buzzsaw was unsure. That didn't matter now as long as Buzzsaw's search turned up something useful. He would be thankful for even a data slug or any old research reports. _Lot of good that’ll do me anyways. Soundwave will have my tail in a knot if I don’t bring him something real neat._ The dark minicon cursed under his breath, the sharp exhale of his vents pierced with annoyance.

He hovered quietly next to a door that seemed to be in good condition ( _meaning no dents, rents, or scorch marks_ ) and landed on the access panel. Buzzsaw found that power was still being routed to this door, which meant there must be some real goodies inside, and the alarms were still intact. Using his tail, he quickly bypassed all of the main locking mechanisms and nudged the door open slowly. He slipped silently into the room, quickly scanning for any secondary alarms, surprisingly finding none despite the active locks. _My luck must be changing for the better_ , Buzzsaw chirped cheerfully. Even if the place was abandoned, it never hurt to be extra careful. Those Autobots could have laid some traps for any returning enemies, such as himself.

Buzzsaw's beady red optics gazed around in excitement at the clean room. The shelves, though dusty, were full of meticulously organized objects ranging from metal cases, ancient datapads, crates of data slugs, and loose items of varying usages. Many metal boxes and holographic projectors were stacked against the walls and a single desk with a small database sat in a dark corner. Buzzsaw let loose a muffled purr and flapped over to the nearest shelf. He flipped open some of the thin metal lids and peered inside, finding only some ancient and outdated star charts and tools for measuring out various things. The star charts were unfamiliar, showing stars and planets that he did not see on current maps. _Were they destroyed? Did the stars burn out?_ Buzzsaw quickly scanned the old maps, stowing a few away in his cargo-pack. It sat firmly on his back, clipped to his shoulders and wrapped around his torso. It would hold a few interesting trinkets, but nothing too big.

"At this rate I'll have become an astrologist by the time I find something worthwhile." He sighed as he emptied his sixth box of star charts, all mapping out the same exact region of space. It was the same constellations with the same bright planet with a singular silver moon and a burning sun.

Buzzsaw rolled his shoulders in aggravation, his sharp optics peering around dirty shelves marked with his talon prints and the mess of overturned boxes. His crimson optics came to rest on a few interesting objects, scanning for some last marvelous thing, but he saw nothing. Perched upon the lip of a heavy metal crate, he scowled into the darkness. Buzzsaw was not easily deterred or upset, but the minicon was tired of the disappointed looks he got from his master, Soundwave. Buzzsaw lived to please his master and was deeply loyal to the mech, but he knew now was not the time for cheap sentiments. Swallowing his emotions, Buzzsaw straightened up and stirred his feathers. _Let’s look a little harder, Buzzsaw, I’m sure we’ll find something that’ll make Soundwave absolutely giddy_! Dipping onto the ground, Buzzsaw stalked around the floor, his eyes gleaming in the shadows. Checking under the shelves, he checked for hidden caches or concealed stores. Finding nothing, he swished his tail about the dusty floor and hissed. Buzzsaw, in his frustration, tossed a low box across the room as he leapt into the air. The box crashed into a small pile of thin crates, showering the boxes onto the floor. There was a sharp crash, the sound of shattering glass, and the sound of something hollow roll over the floor. Buzzsaw quickly dipped onto the boxes and removed them, throwing them haphazardly across the room.

“And what do we have here, hmm?” Buzzsaw lifted up the last box, setting it aside gently as he revealed the mess of broken glass.

The remains of a glossy glass jar with a rippled silver finish were scattered over the floor. The thin wire frame around it was twisted and snapped in some places; it had obviously been encapsulating the glass, holding each piece together as a single unit. Buzzsaw chirped as he analyzed the glass fragments. The silver swirled through the white like the mixing of viscous fluids, the wire frame was made of a weak, flexible metal, and the whole container, ( _which had been a round vase_ ) had quickly become the con’s main interest. Buzzsaw noticed the glass shone with the color of his eyes, glowing a gentle red when he held a shard up to his optic. As he picked through the glass, he noticed a lump of a deep dark blue. Picking it up, he shook the smallest of glass shards from it. It was an exceptionally smooth segment of organic fabric. _Intriguing!_ Remembering the sound of a hollow roll, Buzzsaw scanned the floor for the container’s contents.

Following the trail of glass, Buzzsaw’s talons clicked on the floor. He noticed that the fragments of glass seemed to glow with a soft white light as they got farther from him. Buzzsaw chirped and hopped quickly across the floor, his excitement getting the better of him. Buzzsaw flapped his wings with vigor, causing the tiniest bit of noise, and then landed on the nearest shelf. Craning his long neck to peak around the corner of a stack of boxes, he saw the glass glimmering like fallen stars. Buzzsaw clicked and chirped with pure giddiness as he slipped closer to a tight space that was directly between two thick shelves. Peeking inside, he observed a white, gleaming round object resting in the dark crevice. It was a perfect sphere and seemed to produce a gentle white glow that was brightly reflected by little pieces of glass.

It piqued Buzzsaw's curiosity to its zenith as he dipped a claw in to touch it. It was too large for him to fit it in one clawed foot, so he used his longest claw to roll it towards himself. The little sphere moved, tipping and rolling into his waiting claws. Buzzsaw gripped it before it rolled too far and he noticed that it was cool to the touch. It made his nerves tingle; it was like a little moon in his claws. Buzzsaw was amazed at its gleaming whiteness and its smooth, cold touch. He chirped and grinned. _It produces its own chill?_ _And it glows?_

Buzzsaw was extremely excited now. Taking the little orb in his claws, he flew it back over to the large mess of the container. When he settled down, the minicon noticed how the glass twinkled as the orb got closer in proximity.

“What are you, little moon?” Buzzsaw whispered softly. His right claw rested on the sphere, absorbing its chill.

Buzzsaw chirped and quickly wrapped the orb up in the blue cloth he’d found earlier. As he pulled the blue cloth away, he noticed a small piece of another foreign substance buried in the glass. It was folded up and it crackled with age as Buzzsaw opened it. Inside, ancient Cybertronian script was written in a bold black color. The minicon couldn't read it, but he figured it was important so he decided to slip it into his cargo-pack. Using a small glass phial, Buzzsaw also collected a claw-full of little glass fragments to analyze. He quickly packed up the phial and grabbed the cloth wrapped orb and began heading out. As he reached the larger main entrance, Buzzsaw received a message from his master, Soundwave, who gave the order to return with their findings. Glad to already have exited his location, the minicon had a head start in reaching the rendezvous point. Buzzsaw sent out a responding confirmation to his master and altered his flight to make headway. The orb was clutched in his talons, the blue cloth wrapped around it. He snuck carefully out of the depths, navigating the ruins of the Crystal City by rote, and taking on altitude to the darkest cloud cover. _It’s a pity to have lost such a beautiful city_. Buzzsaw flew on silently to meet back up with Lazerbeak, where they would then continue on to Soundwave.

At the rendezvous point, Buzzsaw dipped out of the clouds and into the shadow of a burned building. He noticed Lazerbeak had already arrived and was waiting upon his brother with his same, cruel scowl. The darker minicon had several data slugs clutched in his left claw. The data slugs were probably some old, discarded science records that had some vague information on the dark energon that Megatron had everyone tripping over themselves to find out about. Buzzsaw scoffed and rolled his crimson optics. _Dark energon is a poison to the mind, body, and to the spark. Why would anyone want to know about it, much less use it_? This was perhaps the one time Buzzsaw had ever doubted Megatron’s sensibility. He was not overly fond of their leader, but Buzzsaw knew that Soundwave was beyond loyal to Megatron, so he would try be loyal as well.

Lazerbeak, hearing his brother's scoff, looked over his brother's claw-full of blue cloth as Buzzsaw landed next to him. He beat his wings and moved over, allowing his brother room to perch beside him.

"What's in the cloth, Buzzsaw? More useless _junk_?" Lazerbeak teased with a guttural growl, referencing Buzzsaw's past of bringing back trinkets and other particularly unhelpful objects from other recon missions.

"Something quite unusual, Lazerbeak; I've never seen anything like it before. An... orb of some sort. It’s clearly alien and I can’t find anything in my records to explain it. I don't know for sure what it is or what it does, but it really is _intriguing_. It glows and produces its own chill, but it has no energy signature and isn’t made of any Cybertronian elements. It also came with a message, but it’s written in an ancient text that I don't recognize." Buzzsaw ignored Lazerbeak’s sneering face. Buzzsaw’s brother was never truly kind to him, but they were _family_. Brothers were meant to argue. There was not one without the other.

Lazerbeak shook his head and sighed as he took off. Buzzsaw quickly followed suit and began tailing his brother. Lazerbeak knew his brother always had his processor in the clouds, but he was angry that the minicon would let it interfere with his work.

"You are a strange Decepticon, Buzzsaw. That can get you killed." Buzzsaw laughed at his brother’s statement and nudged his brother with his silver gray wingtips.

"Just _being_ a Decepticon can get me killed."

They flew on silently, high up in the trails of smoke that were left over from so many long ago battles. When they reached the hillsides a few miles east from the ruins of Crystal City, they landed with their cargo at Soundwave's feet. Hidden in the shadow of a hill, Soundwave kneeled by his minicons and spoke quietly with them. Holding out and arm, Soundwave signaled for them to deposit their recovered items. Lazerbeak went first and flapped up to be optic level with Soundwave. The silver mech’s arm made the perfect perch, and Lazerbeak landed gracefully upon his appendage. Using one clawed foot to hold himself steady, Lazerbeak used his other claw to deposit the beaten data slugs into his master's open hand. Soundwave nodded curtly to Lazerbeak, which was a good sign, a sign of appreciation and acceptance. Soundwave wasn't one to waste words, so a simple nod was enough for his minicons. They’d learned their master’s habits and idiosyncrasies, understanding Soundwave as a master and ally. Lazerbeak crept up Soundwave’s limb and came to rest upon his master's shoulder while Buzzsaw took his turn.

The cloth sat coolly in Soundwave's hand. His thin fingers barely touched if he tried to fully grasp it. Buzzsaw also unclipped his cargo-pack, which Lazerbeak snapped up and held to himself; this was not out of greed, but merely for convenience. Buzzsaw gingerly untied the soft cloth to reveal the object inside, the small orb glinting in the starlight.

“What is this, Buzzsaw?” Soundwave’s voice was airy, but held a very powerful strength to it; it was like the wind right before a storm. The mech gazed at his minicon through piercing eyes.

“I don’t know. It was locked up tight in a rather old storeroom. I took other things, but this… little moon was too _odd_ to pass up.” Buzzsaw quelled the excitement that broiled right beneath his metal skin. He watched with wonder and apprehension as Soundwave examined the orb, awaiting his master’s approval.

“What else did you retrieve?” Soundwave did not sound upset, but he did not sound like much normally. Buzzsaw cocked his head and felt his spark rattle in relief inside its casing.

“A phial of peculiar glass and a few old star charts…” Buzzsaw cut himself off, his head snapping to his left, his whole body tensing. His beady eyes narrowed with the sheer amount of concentration. Soundwave tensed just as his minicon had. Of the three of them, Buzzsaw had the best hearing. His audio receivers were very sensitive and finely attuned to many frequencies that most receptors simply didn’t register. Soundwave knew that if Buzzsaw behaved as he did now, tensed and focused on some far away thing, when he moved suddenly and was still, it was worthwhile to pay attention to the avian mech.

"Look out!" A single, sharp squawk pierced the air.

Buzzsaw shouted quickly and jumped up to knock Lazerbeak from Soundwave's shoulder, his wings shredding the air in an uncomfortable manner and causing the air to scream around his feathers. The silver spy stumbled backward in an attempt to catch his falling minicons, the orb dropped onto the hillside, forgotten. Lazerbeak responded with a harsh squawk of indignation and surprise as he hit the ground by his master's feet. A loud whistle and bang passed through the air followed by a harsh thud and sick creaking. Soundwave and Lazerbeak felt a spray of liquid splash onto their bodies. Soundwave reacted first, looking down onto the bright speckles of pinkish fluid that dipped over his torso. It was energon. Lazerbeak scrambled up to his brother's body, his movements frantic and uncoordinated. He froze before Buzzsaw, his own spark shaking and pulsing in fear and shock.

It was lying on the ground, a massive hole blown through its chest, one wing completely missing where the impact had severed it. Electricity sparked out from loose wires as the last waves of energy coursed through the damaged frame. The glow of Buzzsaw's spark was gone and his optics were dark. Soundwave was now leaning over Lazerbeak and Buzzsaw, and he let out an angry growl at the sight of his dead minicon's body. Lazerbeak stared at his brother, frozen, as a pained whistle formed in his spark.

_He saved me. He pushed me out of the way and he died in my place._

Lazerbeak's mind was racked with confusion at his brother's actions. Only one prominent thought was present.

_He saved me._

Soundwave was the first to recuperate from the immediate shock of Buzzsaw's death. He grabbed the data slugs and the glowing orb from the ground and then called to Lazerbeak to return to his place in his chest; Lazerbeak would be safer there. The minicon didn't move at first, he was still staring at his brother's lifeless body. A more aggressive call from his master finally prompted some sense into Lazerbeak who then flew, rather sluggishly, to Soundwave's chest and transformed. The silver spy bot then changed to his alternate mode himself and hastily sped away from the area, abandoning the body of Buzzsaw to become just another loss on the battlefield.   



	2. Little Moon, Little Egg

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Life is not a problem to be solved, but a reality to be experienced." - Soren Kierkegaard

Shockwave was working diligently in his lab on Trypticon Station studying the effects of dark energon on the Cybertronian body. The science was not a complete one, obviously, but that was what he was working to achieve. Once the effects were understood, recorded, and reproduced, he could begin to engineer the perfect formula and begin crafting Megatron's super-soldiers. Shockwave's single red optic flickered from left to right as he analyzed his formula again and again. He so did enjoy testing his hypothesis, documenting unexpected results, and then going back to retest. Of course there were always instances of _unwanted complications_ which weren't so easily overcome.         

Shockwave was currently growing bored with his most recent set of experiments. Working with dark energon was definitely a very _interesting_ subject, but it was also very _repetitive_ in its discoveries. Yes, it enhanced many of a soldier’s combative qualities, but at the same time it had several unpleasant side-effects that seemingly outweighed the benefits. The _mad scientist_ , as everyone called Shockwave, wanted something new to experiment with, something never done before. Shockwave wanted to go down in the annals of history not for his sadistic experimentations, ( _which he probably would)_ but for discovering something amazing; for discovering something that would not only benefit himself, but Cybertron as well. It was a dying planet and Shockwave wanted to revive it, he wanted to return it to its former gleaming glory. The dark mech sighed inwardly, his vents hissing in inevitable defeat; the chances, the sheer probability of that happening, were slim to none. He would gladly embrace those odds. Wasn't it only _logical_ for one to accept their fate? 

The main door to Shockwave’s lab slid open, the soft hiss of the hydraulics signaling their movements. The scientist turned his head only slightly as he heard silent, light steps enter his laboratory. He knew those footfalls well and refocused on his work, not needing to look at his guest to recognize them.          

"Soundwave, what brings you to my laboratory?" Shockwave’s voice was deep, powerful, and wrought with intelligence. He didn’t hide the slight curl of disapproval in his voice either.                                                                      

Soundwave didn't respond right away, but instead he deposited several data slugs, a small cargo-pack, and something wrapped in a blue cloth on the nearest lab table. The scientist noticed the slight hesitation of Soundwave’s hand as it slipped from around the object concealed by the blue cloth. His hand hovered over it for longer than was truly necessary, his deep red eyes staring intently. Shockwave said nothing, as he was used to Soundwave’s stoic ( _and rather rude_ ) demeanor, but he did believe it to be bad etiquette not to reply to a direct question immediately after it was asked. He gave a slight huff.          

"These were recently acquired from the ruins of Crystal City." Soundwave’s voice was unusually quiet and tight with some unknown strife, speaking in hushed tones. The quiet was different Soundwave’s normal silence; instead of a deep, naturally permeating quiet, this one was forced and rippled with intent as if something was boiling right below.                                       

Soundwave's reply was as curt as always, but for some reason Shockwave began to sense, due to Soundwave’s slightly _deviant_ behavior, that something had happened during the spy’s recovery mission. And he could tell Soundwave wasn't too _pleased_ about it. Of course, the scientist did not try to inquire to see if everything was alright. Shockwave was not friends with Soundwave ( _how could they be?);_ they were merely partners in a scientific and political endeavor that kept them on frequent speaking terms. They were allied through a shared devotion to Megatron and the Decepticon forces. That was it.     

Shockwave nodded in reply, and Soundwave simply turned and left. The silence of the mech was perturbing and definitely odd, but it made sense that the normally reclusive mech would hide any inkling of being less than stoic. Soundwave did more listening than anything else when he was around. He was a spy by nature and was very suspicious of most of the bots on Trypticon Station. He was suspicious of most bots in general. Who would he trust with any sort of problems he had, emotional or not? The silent mech had built up quite the reputation for being cold and calculating. Many referred to him as the " _optics and audio receptors of the Decepticon forces."_ If that were true, then Shockwave was the main processor of the Decepticon army.          

Shockwave rose to his feet and walked over to the lab table, each step laced with a heavy echo. He picked up the data slugs and placed them next to his main computer for processing later. Hopefully they would contain useful information, unlike the last several slugs that had been retrieved. Nothing but old building plans, outdated star charts, and severely irrelevant discoveries were all they had been of late. _Can’t that mech explain to his flying worms that I need more than this?_ Shockwave hissed internally as he threw the slugs a sideways glance. What truly interested him was the blue cloth that Soundwave had seemed hesitant to deposit. Hardly ever did you see such luxuries on Cybertron as of late, especially organic materials received during the Golden Era of trade. The blue cloth was of a deep blue like the depths of the night sky, but it lacked the shining stars. It had a soft texture when he ran his fingers over the fabric.          

It seemed like this could be the refreshing new subject he had been pining for! Shockwave mentally pushed all of his thoughts on the topic of dark energon to the side and focused all of his attention on the blue cloth. He carried it, with a growing level of excitement, to his main lab table, one hand closed completely around it. The object within was light and had barely any weight to it. He was startled by the obviously lower temperature of the cloth and it piqued his interest even higher. When he reached the table, he sat down on his work stool and placed the cloth and its contents onto the table rather gently. Unsure of its contents, he carefully began working on untangling the knot tied in the cloth. His digits were quite large, but Shockwave did not want to damage the cloth by simply cutting it. So instead, he struggled for a short while to remove the confounded knot. When the knot finally came undone, the soft cloth slipped away on its own to reveal to Shockwave a perfectly round, glowing orb. It was a foggy white color and it gave off a pale white glow; Shockwave noted how it resembled a moon, only much, much smaller.

Shockwave was momentarily mesmerized by the object; his optic was focused purely on the uniqueness of the obviously foreign object. He held the orb in one hand and he could feel the smooth ( _so smooth it almost felt like nothing_ ) texture and the cool sensation of its touch.                                            

 _Its surface is colder than the air around it, so something inside it must be giving off the chill,_ Shockwave concluded. He sat the orb back down on the blue cloth, insuring it would not roll away, rose from his seat, and began rummaging through an old storage closet. Inside he found exactly what he was looking for; a small glass pedestal with an elongated dome-like lid. He carried the glass container back over to the table where the orb rested. Setting it down gently on the table and removing the lid, Shockwave placed the cloth in the pedestal, bundling it in such a way as to hold the orb, and then placed the orb on top of it. When he did, a small piece of another foreign substance tumbled out from the cloth. He closed the lid over the orb with a soft clink and carefully picked up the new object. It was a folded up piece of organic parchment. Even odder, he thought. He set it aside with the data slugs that Soundwave had brought him. He would examine it later.                                                                

The scientist turned his concentration back to the glowing orb resting in the glass container. It truly was tantalizingly confusing. It was new; it was something Shockwave had never encountered before. He wanted to study it, to understand it. Shockwave considered himself an erudite, so finding a topic he didn't know anything about was astonishing. But it wouldn't be long before he knew all there was to know about it. He would master this new thing; he would document it and run tests. _Perhaps this is the thing that will save Cybertron_? Shockwave scoffed quickly, a puff of hot air escaping the vents on his face, forming a cloud of condensation of the glass. _That was a foolish thought_ ; he scolded himself for thinking illogically.          

Shockwave decided to run multiple tests on the orb. He would determine its origins first of course, then its makeup, and lastly, its purpose and function. Unluckily for Shockwave, he never got past the “origins” part. The tests failed to reveal anything useful about the orb or where it may have come from. He tested it for various types of radiation, but it didn't give off any. He tested it for different kinds of substances, but it was made of none natural to Cybertron. It was made up entirely of organic materials, none of which were common enough to be present in Shockwave’s database ( _not to mention is was pitifully lacking in organic research_ ). He wondered which ones gave off a chill? He knew of ice, but it would have melted by now. It was an alien object, unnatural to this metallic planet. The note that had come with it exposed nothing, for it was written in a language so old that even Shockwave could not read or speak it and his records proved to be fruitless. He knew naught of the note or the orb itself. So what it could be? What world is it from? What was its purpose? So many questions plagued Shockwave's processor. It was a truly vexing object. It would definitely provide him with the reprieve the scientist needed from his latest project.

_I will learn your secrets, little moon._

~~~          

Time passed. Shockwave found himself laboring once again in the dull studies of dark energon. The orb that he thought would offer him a change of pace did nothing of the sort. It merely became an ornament for his desk. His laboratory was normally dimly lit and the soft glow of the orb gave a little light to his workspace. He would wonder, every now and then, why he even kept it out. Its previous owners locked it up in a closet, why shouldn’t he? Yet, every time the thought came to mind, something pushed it back. A simple glance at the soft glow made Shockwave tingle with some unknown sensation; he continued to keep it out of the closet and where he could keep his optic on it when others would enter his lab. Of the many bots that did dare to come into the lab, especially Megatron, none of them seemed to show any true interest in the orb. Soundwave had glanced upon it once and Shockwave was quite sure he saw a look of sadness, or possibly longing, cross the spy’s face. Why this expression was made, Shockwave was unsure of. Megatron had never shown any interest in it, or if he did, he concealed any hints of such interest from his scientist. Shockwave wondered if Megatron wanted it, if he knew anything but did not let on. The scientist, whenever Megatron or Starscream ( _or anyone really_ ) entered his lab, had a feeling of anxiousness crawl through him. He got a protective feeling, an urge to keep the orb to himself and away from prying optics. He did not know if this was because he hungered for the hidden knowledge locked within the orb, or because he was simply greedy, but Shockwave thought it _had to be_ more because of the undocumented, undiscovered knowledge. But no one inquired upon it, no one tried to seize it, and Shockwave was all right with that. So now it did nothing else but offer Shockwave a moment to ponder its endless mystery. Busy with work, he could glance over it and feel the wonder and excitement of understanding something new. But this was the one lock he could not find the key for. It was both a pleasure and a pain to look at.          

Though lately, much to Shockwave’s pleasure, it had begun to glow brighter and brighter as the cycles had passed and it could no longer be classified as a glow. It was more of a shine now, casting beams of cold light through the clear glass. Shockwave immediately began recording these changes in a daily log, noting even the most insignificant of things. Upon inspecting the orb further, he noticed its temperature had dropped as well. It was getting increasingly colder, reaching temperatures that would have killed any organic being due to exposure. Upon another particular observation two orbital cycles later, it was revealed that the glass surrounding the orb was now decorated with the sharp, swirling patterns of frozen moisture in the air. The sharp fractals were a soft blue striped with whites. If he lifted the lid from the container, a brief puff of cold mist slipped out of it as the atmospheres mixed. The cloth itself was frozen solid into a lump of dark, icy blue.          

Shockwave's interest had nearly quadrupled. If there was ever a spare moment, he would monitor the orb, search for patterns in its development, and try to deduce what it all meant. So far the scientist knew only one thing for a solid, however miniscule, fact. The orb was becoming colder and brighter as more time passed. The constant shining was dulled only by the thick formation of ice on the container. Even then a dazzling light escaped from it; shades of white and pale blue danced across the nearest surfaces in a frozen display. It reminded Shockwave of the Crystal City, a city he had assisted in creating and building. But now it was gone; reduced to rubble in the horrible war that had ravaged the planet. _Such a great loss it had was, little moon. A gleaming city of beautiful shapes and colors reduced to soot and ash._ But Shockwave was merely mesmerized by the sheer beauty of the orb's light show. The resulting nostalgia was a painfully morose feeling, but he welcomed it. It proved to him that he still had, to some strange extent, his sensitivity.          

The orb was quite the optic-catcher now. Shockwave was still not sure why, but he knew it was in preparation of something. It was like it was charging, or maybe absorbing something to metamorphosis into something else. Whatever it was, the final culmination of it all would be soon. Shockwave found himself to be extremely impatient.          

Starscream had entered his lab several orbital cycles ago, much to Shockwave’s annoyance and had inquired about the strange orb. He had asked why Shockwave would possess such a thing since it appeared to be “ _only a mere trinket_ ”. Shockwave had replied in way that could have been perceived as sarcastic, but had not been, perhaps because Starscream thought the scientist wasn’t capable of sarcasm. _Foolish seeker_ , Shockwave had huffed under his breath. He told Starscream it was a unique sphere that could alter temperatures and create frost in small areas, which technically wasn’t a lie. Starscream had huffed at it, dismissing, stating that such a useless object was not worth his time. Shockwave hid his own sigh of relief; for if Starscream wanted something, he could be quite a pain to the bot who currently owned whatever it was he had set his sights on. If Starscream did not covet it, nor care for it, there would most likely not be anyone else who would want it. Except for Shockwave, that is.          

Eight orbital cycles had passed since the mighty Megatron or the ever-annoying Starscream had entered his lab. Things had been quiet. The Autobots had not tried to pull any half thought out but courageous attempts at attacking any Decepticons, so all was peaceful for a little while. Well, as peaceful as it gets in the middle of a centuries-old war. Shockwave had made no progress with the orb. It simply got colder and colder, brighter and brighter. After one more orbital cycle, Shockwave noticed that its changes had halted completely. It didn't have any more temperature fluctuations, nor did it flicker or change its light's intensity. _How strange_ , Shockwave thought. _After all this time changing it suddenly stops? What had caused it? Had the environment been_ _altered too much? Or was it simply a phase and now the chill and the light will dissipate?_ So utterly and frustratingly confused the scientist was. Shockwave sat before the orb now; the lid to its container had been removed. He sat there and observed, waiting for what had seemed like forever. It was as if he was waiting for the answers to just fall into his lap.          

Then the orb moved. Or he thought it had. Shockwave leaned close, examining the sphere, but figured it had merely been his over-active imagination. Sitting back, he sighed heavily and rested his head in his hand, closing his optic. _I must control myself, I’m seeing things._ This time he heard it; he heard a small wobbling, hollow noise. The same noise you hear when something runs along the edge of a glass lip or rim. Shockwave's single eye snapped to attention, focusing only on the sphere, which appeared to be still. Watching closely, waiting for something to happen, the orb rocked. It had moved side to side only once, but Shockwave could have sworn he had heard a quiet chirping coming from within the orb. _Chirping?_ Shockwave blinked confoundedly. A sudden thought entered his mind. A thought that seemed so ludicrous that it couldn’t possibly be true. Was this an _organic life form_? He had heard of a type of reproduction among organic species which resulted in the laying of small spheres, or eggs, he believed they were called. _Is that what this orb is: an egg?_ Shockwave was surprised. He knew organic species did not live long lives compared to that of his own species, which could live for eons. So how could an egg of organic origin survive on Cybertron for so long without decomposing? The egg had been sitting in Shockwave's lab for nearly a vorn now and who knew how long it had been locked away beneath the Crystal City? Already the egg had existed longer than any of the recorded organic life spans!          

Again the egg rocked and this time it nearly rolled off its stand; Shockwave's hands quickly moved to catch it just in case. He was astounded, bewildered, and beyond excited! An organic creature's egg, its offspring, had survived a _record-breaking_ time on Cybertron, a planet inhospitable to organics. Unbridled excitement rose within Shockwave's spark; it bounced around in its casing, releasing hopeful and excited waves of energy. Soon he would know what it was after all this time! The answer, the key, was right beneath the thin shell! Shockwave's processor was running rampant with information. A sudden thought plunged deep into his spark, halting its exuberant behavior. This was a miracle of life before him; a living, breathing creature entering the world for the first time. So fragile and weak it would be, yet it had been tough enough to survive the harshness of Cybertron as a breakable, feeble egg. Shockwave marveled at the egg, his little moon, the life within, and the strange new feeling that now seemed to possess him.          

The egg rocked even more, a loud chirp coming from it, as a small crack formed on its side. The crack was jagged like lightning and traveled about the radius of the egg. Nudging from within, a piece of the shell fell away and landed with a sharp clink on the table below. A tiny wisp of air slipped in through the dark crevice and then was pushed back out. The creature within the egg had taken its first breath of Cybertronian atmosphere. Now would be the deciding factor of whether the creature would live or die. If its body did not adapt to the atmosphere now, then it would suffocate and die. Shockwave found himself, oddly enough, hoping the creature would live. Not because he wanted to be able to do a live study, but because he just wanted to see it live. He wanted to see it take its first steps, to see it see him, to see it grow and live its life, however insignificant it may be. In a world filled with death, this little life would be cherished and cared for by one of the most reportedly sparkless bots on Cybertron. 


	3. New Moon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Scientists have become the bearers of the torch of discovery in our quest for knowledge." -Stephen Hawking

Soundwave wandered the halls of the space station Trypticon in hopes of catching any interesting tidbits of information that could later be used for interrogation or blackmail. You never knew what kind of things you could learn just by being in the right place at the right time. Someone said this, another person did this. _Bots don’t know how to keep their secrets secret,_ Soundwave thought. All of the delicious rumors and disgusting lies were everywhere - especially when you knew where to look and when to listen. Soundwave had an unimaginable patience and a sharp wit. Many knew not to talk when he came around, simply because anything you say can and will be used against you, even if it doesn’t seem incriminating at first. As a result of his spying and blackmailing, and his extremely well-developed fighting skills, the mech was mostly avoided by those who could afford to. Soundwave didn't mind this though; it gave him more time to participate in one of his favorite pastimes: spying. But he had other, more serious, things running through his processor of late.                                                  

Soundwave's steps barely made any noise as he stalked through the dim passageways; the only sounds to be heard were the soft humming of the lights and the mech's inner workings. The dark silver mech had been dwelling on more recent, more _depressing_ events. A low pulsing noise flowed out of his spark chamber and hinted to a deep sadness. His processor flashed back to the traumatizing death of one of his minicons, Buzzsaw, and the circumstances around it. Soundwave was extremely upset and furious, his spark tortured, and his processor disturbed. _It had been a simple recon mission. How could it have resulted in such extremes?_ He knew Decepticons were prime targets and it only made sense as they were at war, but it didn't sit right in the spy's mind. A rogue Autobot sniper must have claimed him, must have had the ball-bearings to blow Buzzsaw to smithereens before his very creator. The sniper had blown his fluids and lifeblood onto Soundwave; he had blown pieces of the young, silvery metallic body onto him. Soundwave growled nastily at the memory. He knew Buzzsaw died operating under his orders and it pained him to know that he played a small part in his death. Buzzsaw had died, at least in Lazerbeak's optics, saving his brother. It was a noble way for one to immortalize a fallen sibling, but Soundwave knew it ran deeper than that. Soundwave and Lazerbeak were both in a disguised form of mourning, of grieving for their lost one.    

The spy had been struck by a strange thought while wandering the halls immediately after that fateful mission: dying is just death for someone else, but for you, when someone you care about dies, it’s like they've been stolen. But at the same time, someone will always feel that for the death of another. No lost spark is never mourned. There is always someone. 

Soundwave's mind burned. He knew dwelling on the past has never done anyone any good, so he shouldn't be doing it. It was an inefficient way of spending his time and his energy. Perhaps he should check on the state of the objects his minicons had retrieved? At least to see if they had successfully retrieved anything useful, unlike the majority of the items from past missions. Soundwave chuffed warm air out of his vents as a pleasant memory formed before his optics, a memory of the first thing Buzzsaw had returned with from his first recon mission. It had been very close to the minicons creation date, for he had only been a few vorns old, when he had brought back a blank trophy. Buzzsaw had wanted to give it to Soundwave for being the “best creator in the whole universe”. It had nearly melted the spy's spark in innocent adoration of his youngest minicon, but he was also glad that no other bots had been around to see it. Soundwave knew right then that Buzzsaw was too kind-sparked to be a true Decepticon, but he would keep the sweet minicon around anyways.

Soundwave stopped his musings when he heard one of his minicons, Lazerbeak, contact him through their closed communications link. The minicon's voice was a low gargling hiss and it varied in intensity as his emotions changed. As of late, Lazerbeak had become even more rude and nasty. He was extremely negative about everything. Soundwave attributed this to his brother’s death, as the light-sparked Decepticon seemed to keep Lazerbeak’s attitude in check.   

"Master, I have news from Shockwave's lab." His voice was low and somewhat hesitant for he knew Soundwave's distrust of Shockwave. The spy knew that the scientist did not like being watched by him and would not be kind to any spies he caught in the confines of his lab.         

"You’re not to be in that lab, Lazerbeak _._ You _know_ this.” Soundwave scolded his minicon with a soft hiss.                                                                 

“I apologize, master, but I was only _curious_ of the object he retrieved.” Lazerbeak never said Buzzsaw’s name anymore. Soundwave could always tell when he was being spoken off though.                                                               

"Tell me what you’ve seen, Lazerbeak." Monotony slipped back into Soundwave’s voice, as he barely revealed his emotions to anyone, even his minicons at times. One had to try extremely hard if they wished to know what Soundwave was feeling, especially if you rarely spoke with him.                          

The minicon didn't reply immediately.                                                    

“The orb that he retrieved, master... it was no mere orb. It… it hatched!" Lazerbeak’s voice was an echo of the shock that passed through the spy.     

Soundwave froze. What did Lazerbeak mean by "hatched"? Surely the orb could not have... _hatched_... as Lazerbeak had said. It made absolutely no sense. The orb had been retrieved from the depths of the Crystal City's wreckage of an old science and research building. Any organic material down there would have decomposed and turned to dust in all that time of sitting on a shelf in the dark. With the ages of the star charts located within the same storage facility, the area had not been opened in a long, _long_ , time. There was simply no way anyone, or anything, organic could have survived. If it had, it would be ancient. Beyond ancient, especially in organic lifespans. Besides, Cybertron's atmosphere was not conducive for organic life to thrive, or even to survive for short times. It lacked one of several key elements as well as a large enough quantity for the ones it _did_ have. If it did hatch, it would most likely suffocate. The spy shook his helm in disbelief. He knew there was only one way to truly know if it had actually hatched. He had to go and visit Shockwave's lab and inquire upon the orb. He would have to appear as if he knew nothing, but that is as easy a task for a spymaster like Soundwave as it gets. He told Lazerbeak to do more recon on the supposed hatching ( _but stay out of the lab!_ ) and then to see if he could identify the type of organic creature that had emerged from the ancient orb. The small minicon dutifully obeyed and notified Soundwave when he would next report.                                                    

Soundwave's red optics flickered in the dim light of the hallways as he continued walking, his course altered as he headed towards the main lab, stopping down the way to his own quarters. A slow thought came to his mind and he decided that if the creature from the orb did survive, albeit highly unlikely, it was now in the possession of Shockwave, and Soundwave knew that it would live its life in pain and suffering as one of the scientist's tortured experiments. He let out a silent prayer for the creature, not so that it may live, but so it should die quickly and without too much pain.                                    

Breaking from his morbid thoughts, the spymaster turned down a corridor and headed towards his quarters to assess the information he had retrieved and recovered and to plan his encounter with Shockwave. _Hopefully he hasn’t already cut the creature into little pieces,_ Soundwave thought with a sour look.

~~~~

Shockwave was dumbfounded.                                                                  

Appreciate that sight, for it doesn't happen often. Shockwave looked down upon his lab table, among the remnants of a shattered egg that gleamed like star fragments, to the diminutive, pure white creature curled up in the center. The scientist's single red optic flickered back and forth in an attempt to take in all the sights before him, to see this life just as it was beginning. Shockwave gingerly moved away shards of the shell to expose more of the little creature. He noticed the creature's flanks rise and fall quickly in shallow breaths, as if the internal organs were testing the atmosphere. It had a pure white body with four thin legs that had small... Shockwave reached for the correct word… _paws!_ It had a paw on each limb with four toes for every paw. It had a long tail that tapered off to a point. He could not yet see its head, for it was tucked away behind its forepaws and the tip of its tail. Shockwave struggled to think of all the anatomically correct ways to describe the creature, to label each little piece, but was having a bit of a problem with it. He did not have much dealings with organics so the words had never fallen upon him. The necessity of knowing them had never been present before. But he tried his best to utilize his stunted vocabulary.                                                                         

Shockwave reached forward and with the utmost delicacy, shifted the creature’s tail and forepaws away from its face. Its body was shockingly _cold_ to the touch and Shockwave wondered if was a good or bad sign. Looking closely at his little hatchling, Shockwave saw that it had a rounded head with a small snout that protruded from its face. It had tiny little bumps on its head, right above its ears and behind its two, unopened eyes. The creature's ears were a peculiar shape. They were long and thin and separated into three individual prongs. The prongs were rounded and got slightly smaller as it went from the top of the ear to the bottom. It had a singular line of five small bumps along its back, two angular bumps on the tip of its tail, and then smaller bumps on the backs of its forelegs and the backs of its ankles. He wondered if the bumps served a specific purpose and if they would grow into something else.    

Shockwave simply stared for a while, his crimson optic moving over the tiny thing with rapt attention. The little being twitched its tiny paws and let out small squeaks as it tested out it vocal capabilities. The scientist watched for several more moments to see what else it might do. Since all it seemed capable of doing was whimpering at the time, Shockwave decided to get up and look for a newer, bigger tank. The pedestal would be an inadequate habitat for the little creature. He made a note to himself to put in the record " _unable to care for itself after hatching."_ Taking the container that had held the egg previously, he removed the blue cloth and then returned it to his storage closet. The mech rummaged through the closet once again until he returned with a large tank. It had no lid, but Shockwave did not think that one would be necessary as the walls of the tank were slick and pointed inwards to prevent any subjects from climbing out and escaping.                                                                        

Shockwave placed the blue cloth in a corner of the tank and then very delicately picked up the small creature, again surprised by its very low body temperature, and went to place it in its new, most likely temporary, home. It squeaked loudly when he wrapped his fingers around it; the little creature attempted in vain to grip his fingers with its tiny paws. As Shockwave was moving slowly, it managed to maneuver itself into the palm of his hand and curl itself up into a tight ball, rubbing its head along his thumb. It made a low vibrating noise and he could feel it reverberating in his hand. Shockwave noted the behavior, probably one of gratitude or affection, and moved his hand into the tank to let the creature slide off onto the cloth. It let out a startled cry and immediately tried to find Shockwave's hand. It raised its tiny snout and took deep breaths, and when it couldn't locate his hand, it threw back its head and let out a low howl. It tried to stand, but its thin legs wobbled as it took a step and then collapsed. It whimpered in pain as it collided with the glass, but it was softer this time, subdued. Shockwave was absolutely mesmerized by the alien creature’s behavior. This small being was in need of something ( _as it was obviously searching_ ) but he did not know what. _A pity it is not able to communicate right away after birth, as we Cybertronians are, Shockwave thought quietly._

He lowered his crimson optic to be level with the creature in the glass tank and he watched with a burning curiosity. It had managed to crawl back to the cloth and curl itself, once again, into a tight ball. Its flanks were not moving as quickly and it no longer whimpered and cried. Shockwave tried to find the word for what it was doing. He knew it was like stasis, or perhaps recharge, but he did not know the name for it. He thought harder and finally found it. _Sleeping!_ The little thing was _sleeping!_ The whole hatching ordeal must have tired it out. Now the scientist was wondering how long it would be sleeping for. _A cycle? A few deca-cycles? A solar cycle maybe?_ He had absolutely no idea. He grabbed the tank, careful not to shift its sides, and gently carried it over to a shelf near his main workstation. It was not a tall shelf; it barely reached Shockwave's waist, but it was near optic-level when Shockwave sat at that particular workstation. The tank was placed on the top of it so that Shockwave could keep his crimson optic on it in case the creature tried anything funny. _If it even turns out to be intelligent enough for that,_ Shockwave huffed. Setting it down carefully so as not to jostle the sleeping hatchling, he vented a gust of hot air, causing the little thing to shift in its nest. What was he going to do with this creature? He knew it would make an _exciting_ experiment, but what kind of exciting experiment? It was nothing more than a mere organic creature; weak, tiny, and probably not even sentient. What use could it possibly have for Shockwave other than a neat little trinket?                                                               

The scientist sat down at his desk and began compiling a record and making notes on the creature, combining them with his older notes on the egg. Shockwave was in the process of an in-depth analysis of recorded behavior and time tables when he heard the metallic hiss of the lab's doors being opened. _Not now, I’m busy!_ Shockwave cursed internally. His helm turned sharply and he watched as none other than Soundwave strode into his lab. _You again, Soundwave?_ Shockwave was thrown; he knew Soundwave did not like him that much, if at all, so for what reason would Soundwave even be here other than to deliver orders from Megatron? Why would Megatron not deliver the orders himself? Shockwave rose from his seat and approached the spy with a tentative suspicion.                                                                                                             

"What do you need, Soundwave?" The scientist's voice was a deep, rumbling sound that shook that air. His optic held a steady, firm gaze on the spy. He crossed his arms and attempted to stand in front of the creature's tank to keep it concealed. He knew very well that Soundwave would most likely inform Megatron of Shockwave's "little pet". _We’d better keep you a secret for now, little one._

"A simple answer, Shockwave. The orb that Buzzsaw recovered, it hatched, did it not?" Soundwave was blunt, but also cryptic. It terrified many how he knew so much, but it barely even fazed Shockwave who had known the silent mech since before the war. Shockwave’s spark grumbled in agitation.          

“Why bother asking me? Your spies already know. If I find one in my lab, Soundwave, I will not hesitate to kill it.” Shockwave growled. He would admit he was surprised, but not because Soundwave knew about the hatching, but that he knew so quickly. _How in the great wide universe did he find out so quickly? Were his spies already in my lab? Well, it’s no matter now. The problem is here and it needs to be dealt with._ Shockwave blinked his optic slowly and then uncrossed his arms. He weighed his options. He could either tell Soundwave what he wanted to know or he could try to avoid answering and pretend he didn't know anything. Soundwave would easily see through that ploy and would simply repeat his question. He would have to tell him eventually. _Better now than later, perhaps?_                                                           

“My spies are loyal to this cause, Shockwave. They don’t do anything Megatron would not want them to. Now… the orb?” Soundwave could tell his patience was wearing thin. Why was the scientist so dodgy and secretive?               

"The orb was an egg, Soundwave. It was a rather unexpected outcome, though. Logically, it doesn't make any sense. Any regular organic being would’ve decomposed by now." He turned to the side to reveal the tank and lifted his hand in the direction of the creature, inviting Soundwave to look closer.                                                                                                                

Soundwave took the cue and stepped towards the tank. He leaned in close to examine the creature. His optics narrowed as he watched the little life breathe, watched a tremor pass over its white skin.                                                

"It seems quite odd looking, but it resembles Ravage to a certain... organic degree." Soundwave rumbled, keeping the waves of emotion in check. The creature's ears twitched and it raised its head in the direction of Soundwave's voice. It sniffed the air and sneezed, then opened its mouth to yawn, revealing tiny rows of gleaming white teeth. The creature chirped, readjusted itself in the blue cloth, and then fell back to sleep. Soundwave turned to face Shockwave, letting his mask of apathy fall over his features. The scientist was taller than the spy and it forced Soundwave to look up to speak to him.

"It has no eyes?" Soundwave was familiar enough with organic terminology due to his minicons resembling them in form, if not in behavior.    

"I believe it does, it has just not yet opened them." Shockwave answered the spy quickly, ready to have him out of his lab. _Just leave, you got your answer._

"What will you do with it?" Soundwave may have been playing dumb with Shockwave, but he still asked the important questions. Shockwave thought for a moment, startled by the question. He still had no idea, but his processor works fast. He just spit out an answer, really the first thing that came to mind.          

"I will raise it, let it grow, and possibly find a purpose for it once I've studied it quite intensely." It was the only _logical_ thing he could do. It was the only logical course of action.                                                                                    

"And if you can do nothing with it?" Again, Soundwave and his fragging pertinent questions. Shockwave looked over at the tiny sleeping hatchling in the tank. It was so small, so new to the world. But then again, it was just a lump of carbon and other trace elements. It was nothing more than that.           

"I will dispose of it."


	4. Young Child of Mine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Keep me away from the wisdom which does not cry, the philosophy which does not laugh and the greatness which does not bow before children." - Khalil Gibran

It sniffed, shuffled, hurriedly searched for the heat-giver. It had felt it once, holding it with a new warmth unlike anything it had felt before. It was so comforting, so _good_ , to stretch out and breath and soak up all of the proffered heat. Yet so suddenly, after it escaped from its white-walled prison, felt the new warmth, had it disappeared. _Where had it gone?_ Swiping its tail slowly, it felt the cold surface of its new prison below it. Much like its own body, it was cold and hard and unrelenting. It could not break through this new prison. Why was it here? Why was it not with the heat-giver, why was it not being held and nuzzled, comforted by warmth? It was so sure it had told the heat-giver " _hello, thank you, please hold me,_ " when it purred and nudged it.

Perhaps the heat-giver did not understand that it needed to be here, warming the little creature. It knew right away that its body would always be too cold, that it must seek out heat to be with for a long time, to stave off the chill in its body. The heat-giver was near, it could tell, but it was not close enough. Curling into the soft nest, it could feel the warmth in the air, and it was good. Yawning with exhaustion, the creature wrapped its tail over its snout.

It was sad that the heat-giver had gone, but it would be okay. As long as it got to keep this warm, soft nest, it would all be okay.

~~~

Hot air passed through agitated vents with a sharp, noisy hiss. Gears ground against each other in an almost painful way, a display of deep displeasure. The scientist was angry, upset, and somewhat provoked. Wait, he was extremely angry, upset, and _had_ been provoked.

Shockwave’s latest test in the dangerous field of dark energon had yielded the same, if not exact, results as those before it. His experiments were revealing the same things over and over again. Not a single result deviated from the standard record of the first tests. Nothing more was shown other than increased aggressive tendencies, strength, and a loss of overall intelligence in the affected subject. It was repetitive in its results and Shockwave was at his wit's end to find the answers that his master was searching for. _These answers either don’t exist, or come with too high of a price_ , Shockwave concluded. He couldn't find them no matter how hard he tried or what he tried. He had played with all with the factors, tinkered with the dark energon itself, and even considered testing the material on himself. That idea was immediately rejected ( _of course it was_ ) because Shockwave couldn't bear the thought of what havoc the dark energon would have on his systems and self-preservation was still a priority. He had shuddered at the mere thought of himself reduced to an imbecilic brute.

Still, no matter what the dark mech attempted, the results were _always_ the same, as they _always_ seemed to be. On one particular visit from Megatron, the cyclopoid scientist had attempted to explain this to his leader, only to have his him respond with, _"You are smarter than this, Shockwave. You will find my answers."_

Megatron had out rightly challenged Shockwave’s intelligence, which certainly isn’t a wise thing to do. Megatron was inadvertently calling Shockwave incapable of completing the project that the scientist had already become a slave to. Shockwave's spark glowered in anger, radiated displeasure and sizzled inside of the larger mech’s chest cavity. It had flared up into a ball of hate when the ex-gladiator turned revolutionary had placed a hand lightly on Shockwave's shoulder, almost to be perceived in a threatening way, and that agitated the scientist even more. His spark was riled up, bouncing around in its chamber with pure, unaltered _rage_ , and Shockwave had to stifle every sharp hiss of his vents.

The scientist growled inwardly at the very memory. Megatron seemed to have forgotten his place; he may be the mighty leader of the Decepticons, but Shockwave is one of the select few who can match and even overcome Megatron's fury and viciousness in the gladiatorial ring. It would be a lie to say the scientist was not becoming slowly annoyed with his leader’s newfound sense of superiority and near godliness. _Scientific endeavors such as these take time_ , Shockwave had fervently explained. Megatron simply growled and said that he didn't have the luxury of time, not during a war.

At that point, Shockwave had come to a strange conclusion in the back of his processor; _there wouldn't even be a war if you, the mighty Megatron, had not been so power-hungry and rash to destroy the world that built you_. Shockwave was disturbed by this thought, but not enough to disagree with it. He knew deep down that it was very true, but it was already too late for him to want to change sides. It was too late to have regrets about his decision, no matter how thought out he reasoning behind it could be. It wasn't _logical_ to harbor grudges against one's own leader. Especially if your leader would have no problem in killing you without a second glance. _It’s simply too late_ , Shockwave conceded.

Megatron had left his lab directly after that, much to Shockwave’s relief, stating he had other, messier business to attend to. With the way it had come from his harsh vocalizer, Megatron probably had another one of Starscream's messes to clean up after. Of late, the air commander had been trying spectacularly hard to perform a coup. None so far had been successful, much to Starscream's chagrin. _That idiotic flyer will get what’s coming to him, hopefully much sooner than he thinks_ , the scientist muttered with a sigh.

Thankful that Megatron now had something else to do, ( _something that kept him out of the lab_ ) Shockwave rose from where he had been sitting crossed his lab to the nearby storage closet. He had several, but this one was mostly empty and rather spacious. The scientist found he was rather meticulous when it came to organization, and no space was wasted. His other two closets contained the bulk of his possessions and equipment. When he opened the larger storage area, a soft chirping and purring noise welcomed him from the dark confines of the space. Reaching in, Shockwave removed a smallish glass tank and returned it to its rightful place on a low shelf next to his main work desk. Through the clear glass, he could see the diminutive creature inside clutching tightly to the large blue cloth stuffed in the corner of its tank. When the scientist sat it down, he leaned in close to gaze at it.

The creature's lengthy tail moved back and forth rapidly over the glass bottom, in a manner Shockwave believed was called "wagging." It had been three full solar cycles since the creature's hatching. It had developed quite quickly and made a plethora of noises to prove it. The small organic being had produced all manner of chirps, squeals, and squeaks whenever Shockwave approached it. He was still unaware of how it sensed his presence, but he figured it could have a developed sense of smell or hearing. He knew it would also purr and rumble loudly whenever he would touch it, whether it was a simple prod or if he held it in his hands. The little being still had not yet opened its eyes and Shockwave began to wonder if maybe it actually didn't have any, despite his earlier beliefs.

Shockwave lowered his hand into the tank and gently ran a digit across the creature's back; he could feel where the single row of bumps had begun to harden into stiff triangular shapes. The white creature immediately began making the rumbling noise, one Shockwave assumed was for expressing pleasure, and wagged its tail even more fiercely. Shockwave chuffed warm air from his vents in a small laugh. The creature was slightly amusing in youthful behaviors. It was entertained by the simplest of things. The scientist withdrew his hand and noted how quickly the quiet wail that the creature made had come at the loss of his touch. It obviously enjoyed any physical contact such as petting, but Shockwave saw no logical reason behind it. _Perhaps it offers comfort in a maternal way?_ Shockwave understood that this creature may have imprinted upon him, as any newly hatched organic being may do, but he was not to let frivolous emotional connections build. This creature was nothing more than a mewling lump of organic flesh, despite how excited Shockwave had been to see it hatch and to see it live. It, so painfully simple, had no importance or place in the grand scheme of the Decepticon plan or any place in the scientist’s lab.

The dark mech sat back down at his desk and forced himself to resume the tiresome task of searching for Megatron's answers. Only a few moments had gone by in a dull silence before the creature had sat up completely, its snout turned in his direction, threw its head back and loosed soft, but still loud, howls. Shockwave tossed it a sour glare, his optic a dull crimson burned through with fatigue. He was so mentally exhausted from the aforementioned tedious experimentation and the creature was _not helping_ in the slightest. Shockwave silently observed the whining thing, hoping he would suddenly know what it wanted even though he lacked even a speck of knowledge on the little creature. He watched, unmoving; the creature’s head was tilted back and its mouth opened wide, its soon-to-be eyes still squeezed shut. It chirped and warbled a pitiful song, but still did not move from the odd position it had taken.

A thought wormed its way into Shockwave's processor. _Organic beings require sustenance to survive, much like how Cybertronians need energon to survive._ The scientist did not have anything that could be considered organic in material other than the creature itself. He had nothing remotely edible for the beast. _How would this creature survive without proper sustenance?_ Shockwave grumbled quietly to himself. So many questions this little beast provided. So many chances to learn something new, something extraordinary, as well. The scientist knew how to take the good with the bad, but that didn't mean he couldn't do something about the bad.

Shockwave dove into his records and ancient files with renewed vigor, searching for a possible solution. He was looking for anything on synthetic energy sources, something that could be produced easily and cheaply. In the middle of a war it seemed certain, if not all, resources were hard to obtain. His fingers moved swiftly over his keypad and the creature's head cocked to its side with almost every click of the keys. It made a loud chirp to echo the noises and then cocked its head to the other side in a chaotic rhythm. Shockwave noted this strange behavior and pressed on, focusing intently on the task at hand.

So far the files had revealed nothing and Shockwave was frustrated ( _and extremely peeved_ ). All of the files were on synthetic _energon_ sources and various fuels for space travel. Nothing even remotely organic could be found among Shockwave's expansive archive. It seemed as if the scientist would be unable to do anything for his little creature. Coming to the end of the archives with no results or theories, Shockwave sighed deeply. He felt that tiny tug in his spark, perhaps it was sadness or defeat, and cast a soft crimson glow on the flanks of the white beast.

A quiet chirp heralded the scientist's attention from his morose thoughts. Shockwave had ignored it right up to the point of the creature forcefully ramming its head against the glass of its tank. The impact of the creature’s head with the glass made a dull resonating sound that irritated Shockwave's somewhat sensitive audio receptors. He gazed at the tiny, fragile white beast with annoyance, and surprisingly, hatred. This creature was an enigma through and through; it was not because it was complex and challenging to understand, but that every time one problem was solved, another took its place. Shockwave turned to it, frustrations weighing heavily upon his tired shoulders. He lowered his head to be level with the tank and cocked his head slightly in resignation and defeat. The creature turned his way and sat on its haunches before him, wrapping its long tail around its paws. Shockwave’s head was still leaning to one side, only slightly, when the beast mimicked the position, its ears tucked close to its head. As he moved his helm, so did the creature move its.

Shockwave was struck by surprise. _How can the creature mimic me if it has no way of sensing my position?_ The creature could seem to see him, but how? Before, when it would look in his direction, he merely assumed it was simply following sounds, noises, or maybe it could even sense body heat higher than its own. So Shockwave leaned closer and examined the creature's smooth white head. He looked to the place where the eyes should be and realized that there was only a thin, semi-transparent membrane covering its eyes. Behind the membrane, the mech could see a pale blue glow; he presumed that to be the pigment of its irises. He now knew the creature could see him, but was extremely limited in its sight. _Perhaps this is a good sign? Its eyes are still developing, maybe? The membrane must be there to protect the eyes!_ Shockwave jumped onto his computer and hastily began recording all the new information. He wondered how much longer it would be before its eyes were open, but the lingering thought of providing sustenance for the creature continued to plague him, making his spark flinch. _It wouldn't matter if its eyes did open, because it would be dead soon._ He pushed the dark thoughts away.

He had begun the process of creating an in-depth timeline of the little beast's physical and mental development. So far, it had only been alive outside its egg for three solar cycles and had only changed in one area: _noisiness_. The creature had become increasingly louder as time had progressed, evolving from small squeaks and chirps to full-blown wails and howls. Shockwave had recorded some of its noises for later study and interpretation. As of the moment he had just finished summarizing its physical appearance when he heard the creature make another pitiful wail and collapse onto its side. It curled its tail along its body and it continued to make tiny, barely audible squeaks. Shockwave realized that the creature would probably be starving by now and he had simply sat by and watched as it happened. Panic rushed over him, but he quickly dismissed it, burying his emotion and steeling his tumultuous spark. The scientist was _not_ going to get attached to this whining beast. Besides, it was not his fault the creature was starving! It was all on the lack of data the archives had on its species; that was to blame. How could Shockwave properly care for something he knew nothing about and did not have the resources for either?

The large mech sighed, a large puff of condensed moisture escaping from his vents in a silvery cloud. The creature chirped again, a weak, pitiful sound. Shockwave was almost visibly upset at his current predicament. If it was not for the sorry state of the suffering creature, it was because he couldn't solve its endlessly infuriating puzzles. _Because he didn't know enough_. The beast made a last ditch effort to gain his attention with a loud, audio-piercing wail. It was at precisely that moment that Shockwave snapped, that he decided that the creature was not worth the ache in his processor.

He reached into the tank and grabbed the creature roughly with one hand. Shockwave did not try to be gentle, to be careful of the creature’s thin skin and soft bones. His fingers wrapped around it tightly; he could feel it ribs beating against his metal skin as it panted in fear. He ignored its sharp cries of pain when he pinched one of its hind legs between his digits, roughly splitting skin on the upper thigh and cracking its bones. Shockwave groaned in disgust as he felt the creature’s blood, a rich blue color and cold as ice, dripped over his fingers. He half-tossed the creature onto the closest dissection table and it landed with a sickening thud as its shoulder took the brunt of the impact. Laying in fear and pain on the table, which was still covered with loose bits of shining metal and dried fluids from the last subject of interest, the creature whimpered softly and struggled to move. Shockwave wondered with a twisted curiosity of what would happen if he locked the creature away in a dark closet. A soft wail brought his attention back to the bleeding creature.

The creature was attempting to crawl on the slick surface and the scientist watched it for a few nano-cliks. It was limping, its back leg tucked close to its side and it forearm wobbling with the ache of sore shoulder. White, tiny flanks moved quickly with shallow, panicked breaths. It made began making soft, worried squeaks and it started shaking. Shockwave stared rapt with complete, cold detachment as the creature began crying and shaking in obvious displays of fear and despair. Its snout was swinging from side to side, its jaws slightly parted, as it tried to scent for any sort of escape or protection. It sniffed at the spilled fluids and wrenched its snout back in disgust, pawing at its snout. It lifted its head and howled weakly; the creature was calling for help, Shockwave presumed. Without any feeling of remorse or guilt, Shockwave reached into a small container and removed a small silver laser scalpel. Used only for dissection, the tool was extremely sharp and extremely hot. He adjusted it to the correct setting for cutting but not cauterizing, and turned to his newest test subject. The scalpel was charged, glowing a dark, hard yellow, and Shockwave leaned in to begin his operation.


	5. Tomorrow is A Gift

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not to stop questioning." - Albert Einstein

The master spy paced quietly in his private quarters. His protégé, the dark-silver minicon Ravage, lay curled on the floor in the shadow of his master's berth. His single red optic released a dull scarlet glow as it followed the spy's troubled steps. The minicon tried to tune the distressed echoes out, to find some way to slip back into his interrupted stasis nap, but to no avail. Ravage lifted his head, audio receptors laid back against his head in aggravation. The diminutive minicon's internal systems hummed softly and he could sense the uneasiness seeping from his master. The spy had been pacing, much to the slumbering Ravage's irritation, ever since the visit to Shockwave's lab. All of Soundwave's minicons knew of their master's personal distaste for the dark scientist. Ravage grumbled out a questioning noise and he felt his spark shudder, but his master ignored him. He snorted at this rude dismissal and Soundwave faltered in his rhythm and then corrected himself.

The minicon was only slightly worried for his master, but it was unusual for the mech to ignore him. Ravage silenced the low growl in his chest. The dark mech was unable to tell why his master was so _bothered_ , but he assumed it was because of the most recent turn of events. With Buzzsaw's tragic death and the hatching of the mysterious orb the deceased minicon had recovered, it was a great and mighty shift in their ritualistic world. Ravage sighed and got up, stretched out his tightened muscle strands, weaved through his master's legs to offer that slightest hint of comfort, and then slipped into a nearby ventilation system. The vent blew slightly warm air and carried a plethora of scents and sounds. Several smells of which were easily recognized by his keen olfactory sensors, such as those belonging to high-ranking Decepticons that frequented the station; the rest simply melting together into a sour and confusing smell.

Picking a random tunnel, Ravage began moving. He preferred to travel this way; his risk of being blatantly stepped on by Decepticon brutes was greatly decreased. Plus, he enjoyed the darkness and the isolation, the freedom of the tunnels. Silence and shadows followed the mech, as not a sound could be detected; not even his pawsteps. He followed several scents and began to individually distinguish them. While he had smells associated with many of the teams and specialized groups, a combination of single scents went into them.

The felid mech followed his complex map of aromas and slinked down a curved passage. A slightly greasy smell, like that of various oils and lubricants, combined with cold, dirty air became the scent of a Constucticon workshop three of his tail lengths before him. The air stung his sensors and Ravage snorted in attempt to quell the burning sensation. Loud noises boomed through the following shafts and Ravage readily moved on to some place a little more peaceful, escaping the cacophony of power tools, dirty curses, and putrid air. He ventured left, following a soft neutral smell; it was dry and empty, like a vacant spark chamber. He bypassed this tunnel's divergent paths completely, hoping to avoid the sight of the dead and the " _recycling_ " of what was left.

Ravage took a slightly steeper path that became narrower as he continued. He could hear yelling, screaming, and the sounds of agony to his right. Gently approaching a vent cover, he saw a prisoner interrogation in progress; the dank smell of spilled energon putrefied the air. Ravage knew how these sessions worked; how you cut off more and more, how you peeled away at them, how you got the information you needed by _any_ means. Sharp screaming flowed through the air until it dissipated into a low gargling and hissing noise. He knew that sound well, he had even caused it a few times himself. That final lurch of the severed spark, that last spasm of the vocoder, and the hissing of electricity freezing in death. Ravage huffed and traveled down the tunnel a bit longer, watching several Autobots receive the blade, the needle, and in more exciting cases, the blowtorch.

Ravage took a sharp left and leapt across a downward sweeping shaft. He found himself enveloped in a sweet, highly intoxicating scent. It led the sneaking minicon to the energon refinery, where a few scientists were experimenting on a few different samples. Ravage laid down, content to rest and absorb the delicious smells of the refinery. His tail curled around his body and he fell into a light stasis. He only remained like this for a short while before a strange, foreign scent consumed him. Sitting up abruptly, his scarlet optic wide and sensors pricked, he shook himself to escape the last claws of stasis and inhaled deeply. The scent was sharp and cold, clean and pure, and laced with the thick, wet smell of fear. The spark in his chest quickened with curiosity; it flared and bounced around, excited by this new scent. He hurriedly slinked over to the vent releasing the scent. It was a fair distance to the left and slightly upwards. After struggling to pin-point the exact location for a little bit among the maze of ventilation shafts, Ravage came to rest over a vent right above the scientist Shockwave's laboratory. _What a surprise_ , Ravage sneered. He took a deeper, longer breath and tried to categorize the new smell. Unable to think of a similar smell, Ravage shook his head. _This must be the scent of the beast, of the hatchling!_ Ravage's single optic peeked through the vent cover and searched for the little beast.

He wanted to see the little hatchling for himself. While he examined the room his thoughts turned to the poor thing that was now in Shockwave's care as he attempted to gain a sight of it. Ravage flicked his tail impatiently and sighed. _What a pity. That miserable creature would know nothing more than pain and misery before its inevitable death under Shockwave's microscope_. Ravage peered through the vent cover once more and resumed his search for the little beast. He had overheard Lazerbeak describing it and then heard Soundwave's comments on its appearance. It was small like him, walked on four legs like him, and had a tail just like him. It just plain looked like him. Ravage snorted and looked harder.

When he finally spotted it, he was shocked to see it already pinned to one of Shockwave's dissection tables. He could see its pure white hide, its lithe body, and he could hear its pitiful, frightened wailing. It was screaming, crying out in fear. Only now could Ravage detect the scent of its lifeblood flowing beneath its skin; the scent was rich and heady and it was thick in the olfactory sensors of the minicon. Ravage quickly slinked away to find a larger access vent.

~~~

"You've ceased to be useful, little one."

Shockwave leaned in, the scalpel glowing a hard yellow; it was ready to slice open and reseal a wound at any moment. That was what was so handy about this particular tool. As you cut, you could reseal the wound ( _if it was on the right setting_ ). This allowed for a minimal amount of fluid loss and extended survival rate for the victims. Shockwave turned it over in his hand, allowing it to heat up along its sharpened edge. The scientist turned back to his pitiful beast. _He didn't really want to do this, he really didn't. Or did he?_ The spark in his chest sizzled and cringed at the idea of killing the youngling, but it also embraced the scientific discoveries to be made in its death. It was… _uncomfortable_ , but only slightly.

But it wasn't like Shockwave had any other options. The little thing was starving and the frustrated scientist lacked the particular knowledge and the time to care for it. In the grand scheme of things this tiny morsel of information would not be helpful in the war effort, it would not please the warmonger that was Megatron. It had no purpose and it had no reason for Shockwave to waste his precious time and resources on it. While he did have his regrets, though they were little, he understood that this creature had to die. Shockwave had come to terms with it. Yes, he was somewhat saddened, but he was also quite exhilarated. His spark was quite confused. A tinge of guilt here, a trace of sadness there, and a large amount of confusion.

"It really is a pity, little moon. A true _shame_."

He half said this to himself, a numb feeling consuming his spark as he shut off his emotions, allowing hard logic to take control. The spark stilled, quieted, grew dark within him. He shifted his attention to the frightened beast. The creature whimpered and struggled to stand on the table. Its tiny paws slipped on the slick, energon-soaked surface, landing with a squeal. It attempted to crawl to the edge of the slab, mewling in its blindness, but the scientist pushed it back using the tops of his fingers so that he didn't cause anymore _unnecessary_ wounds. His fingers, when not trying to be gentle, could tear its soft skin to shreds and he already noticed that having cracked its bones was not a good idea. Shockwave scolded himself internally for acting on his frustrations in such a way.

"Now, now little one, be calm. You will not suffer much longer."

His words were empty, making hollow promises. He didn't sound the same. The scientist used his hand to press along the beast's flanks and along its spine in an attempt to calm it, like he did when would reach into the tank.

"Do not struggle."

He whispered this, lowering his voice to a soft rumble. The beast's ears flickered and then lay flat, turned down against his voice. Its flanks rose and fell rapidly, its mouth was open and gasping in sheer panic. The tiny heart within its chest was racing and seemed only moments from bursting. It tried to squirm out from under the dark finger, fear controlling its behavior. Shockwave could see its mouth take the form of a pained snarl, its shining teeth glistening in the dim light as it tried to threaten him. The beast managed to get halfway out of his grip before Shockwave pinned it down with greater force. It gasped as the air in its tiny lungs was pushed out and choked from returning. The creature struggled in vain against the metallic might, tiny whines and cries escaping from its constricted lungs. Shockwave found the noise to be extremely irritating and the scientist groaned in displeasure, his confused hatred for the little thing growing once more. He growled and the little beast struggled even harder. _It is becoming weaker; it has to be_.

"Just sleep, little one."

He pressed even harder on its chest, restricting its airflow to the point of suffocation. The creature whipped its tail furiously, lashing from side to side. It whipped against his hand and he noted the strength behind the strike; its skin on its tail was scratched and raw from the impact. It raised its head and let out a choked cry, stirring Shockwave's retreating spark. He quickly buried the sensation and continued pressing; Shockwave heard a nasty cracking and several pops from under his fingers. The creature eventually began to tire and stopped moving completely. Its tail jerked wildly and fell flat and its head landed with a dull thump.

Shockwave released his fingers and watched the beast. It had rolled on to its side and its body lay limp. For a few moments it was completely still until its flanks heaved, a sharp, sickening crunch accompanying it as the broken ribs were knocked back by the lungs. A thin line of blue blood trickled from its jaws. It was unconscious, but it was alive. _How is it still alive?_ He had robbed it of its air supply and shattered its chest cavity! Shockwave looked over to the laser scalpel. It was still in his other hand, glowing and ready for use. He could easily plunge it through the little thing's heart. Dead. Just like that. He sighed deeply and looked back to the beast. It was so tiny, so fragile. He needed it to die, yet he wanted it to live. He yearned to cut it open and take it apart, but he wanted to see it breathe, run, and live. _Make up your mind, Shockwave_ , he told himself with a scowl.

A soft rattling in the distance caught Shockwave's attention. He looked behind him, to the source of the sound, and saw nothing. He turned back to his creature to see none other than Ravage perched upon his desk; he sat tall, his head raised and tail wrapped around him. Shockwave's spark lurched in surprise and then bubbled and boiled in anger. _How dare this runt of a creature startle me like that? Does he not know I’d kill him as soon I’d look at him?_ His optic narrowed in contempt and hot air rippled from his facial vents in a display of his displeasure. The minicon's single scarlet optic met the scientist's crimson one. Ravage broke off first.

"I _apologize_ for my intrusion, Shockwave, but I just _had_ to see the hatchling for myself." Ravage turned to investigate the sleeping, injured beast. He walked around it, taking in its extremely foreign features. He lowered his head to absorb its scent. A deep breath revealed the scent of the cold, sharp and clear. Ravage's spinal cord shivered, his audials pricked. Using a clawed digit, he felt its skin, its tattered hide, and absorbed the feeling of cool, smooth skin. He rested his forefoot on its flank and felt the steady rise and fall, the cracked and broken ribs poking out. Comparing their stature, he realized he was twice its size but not nearly as long as the beast. He huffed and turned to Shockwave.

"It smells of innocence, clean and pure. It feels like ice, cold and smooth. Yet it sounds... broken."

"Spoken like a true poet, Ravage." Shockwave sighed sarcastically. _He knew the minicon could be obnoxiously cryptic, but a poet?_ Soundwave was in possession of some strange assortment of bots.

"It doesn't take a poet to know this life is new, clean, and untainted by the putrid stains of war." Ravage flicked his audio receivers. He looked over the beast again. He marveled in its youth and innocence.

"Yes, Ravage, but not everyone sees the war as you do. Besides, this beast will not live long enough for the war to effect it." Shockwave conceded. Ravage tilted his head at his response.

"But hasn't it?" Shockwave looked at the minicon in confusion. _What did he mean?_ The war has not touched this little creature. It has been within the confines of his laboratory for the entirety of its pointless little life.

"You are confused? Then allow me to explain, dear scientist." Ravage sat straight up and wrapped his tail around himself taking on an air of wisdom.

"You are stressed by the war. You are distracted by the war. You are affected by the war." He looked over to the unconscious beast. "And therefore, the life under your care feels those affects as well. That is why you wanted to kill it. Why you wanted one less thing to worry about." Ravage spoke softly as he trailed his tail softly over the beast’s body.

Shockwave leaned forward and faced Ravage. He responded in his famous "cold and calculating" way that he always did.

"And yet I didn't. Care to explain why that is, Ravage?"

"I cannot. I am not you. I do not think like you, as you have previously stated." Ravage shrugged and leapt off of Shockwave's lab table with a soft, almost inaudible _click_. He traveled to the vent from which he had entered through. His sly, shadowy voice echoed from the vent as his tail disappeared into the opening.

"If you allow it to live today, Shockwave, then perhaps you will know why tomorrow."


	6. Of Brightest Eye

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Let my soul smile through my heart and my heart smile through my eyes, that I may scatter rich smiles in sad hearts." - Paramahansa Yogananda

I remember breaking out of my white prison, my egg. It was tight and cramped, and very dark, and kind of lonely. I remember pushing really, _really_ hard and struggling to get out. The walls were hard and when I first sensed the outside, the place beyond, I pushed even harder!

I remember my very first breath; it hurt a lot and burned terribly, but it also felt so very refreshing. It made my body shake and tremble, but in a good way. The air, the breath, was warm and new and smelled of something sharp. It’s now my favorite smell, my first smell.

I remember hearing a myriad of low rumbling hums and clicking and all kinds of strange sounds from within my egg. They are much louder and clearer now than when I had been imprisoned. But there was a sound I'd never heard before. Not even _once_! It was smooth and soft and quiet and moved gracefully over my ears. The sound made words, real words, that I understood! Not like those of the enormous heat-giver; I don't know his words very well. He makes really funny noises that are loud and harsh and sound like clicks and hisses, but this new being said things with such calmness and gentility.

I can remember them with such clarity, even now.

_"Blessed you are, Child of the Moon."_

The new-speaker had paused as the words flowed from it and it made a really weird gesture. Even though my eyes weren't open yet, I could see the word-maker, the new-speaker. It was a color I had no name for, a form that didn't truly exist, and a thing that was alive but also dead. I had no concept for this thing, but it was before me, speaking in a language I felt in my bones.

_"I bestow upon you your first Gift, dear one. The Gift of Boundless Energy."_

Its form wobbled and shifted, moving quite awkwardly despite the beauty in its sound. It came closer to me. I raised my snout, but smelled nothing. It touched my head, right between my soon-to-be eyes, and I squealed louder than I ever had thought myself capable ( _it’s a good thing the heat-giver wasn’t there, he would’ve hissed at me!_ ). A sharp pain had raced through my belly, like a deep, ravenous emptiness that wanted to consume even itself. My eyes burned behind my eyelids and my throat and tongue withered inside of me. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't think. But the word-maker continued as I lay writhing in pain.

_"You shall never hunger nor thirst, for you derive energy from all things. You shall never go without breath, for you breathe all things."_

It had contorted itself and morphed, silenced. Retreating from my skin, all sensations of pain disappeared. I lay before this confounding presence, panting and shaking. The word-maker seemed as if it were to say more things, to craft more words. It hovered near me and I flinched, but I couldn't feel it anymore. It was hesitant. It was barely a voice now, if nothing but a whisper or a passing thought in my mind.

_"My precious child, my stolen jewel, you have a long life before you. If only I could have been here for you, but alas, my mortal body has failed me and left a child without a mother."_

The sounds were melancholic, lonesome. It seemed to sink and dull in intensity until it slowly faded away, leaving no traces of itself. When it was gone, I felt lonely. I felt awkward. But soon that feeling passed. I was not visited by the voice again. I tried calling to the new-speaker, but maybe it could not hear me.

I did not understand some of what the word-maker was saying. What was a " _moon_ "? What was a " _mother_ "? I'd never heard of these things before. I turned over and over until I was comfortable in my newer, more spacious prison. The walls were slick and hard, unlike the previous ones. There was some soft, warm thing beneath me and I buried myself in it. The only familiar thing, this soft nest; it kept my first prison company. Buried beneath its cozy heat, I fell asleep quickly, the whole ordeal becoming something of a dream.

~~~

Shockwave sat at his main computer, analyzing his most recent results from yet another dark energon experiment. Megatron was relentless in his quest for answers, and would not allow his scientist a moment's peace. Shockwave's spark was quivering in the beginning stages of complete aggravation. He was mentally exhausted and Megatron's constant nagging was becoming tiresome. The worries were incessant and entirely inessential and they did nothing but interrupt Megatron's precious own process. The warlord was delaying his own progress. That had to be it. That was the only _logical_ explanation for why the project seemed to move at such a disappointingly slow pace. Shockwave had done everything even remotely possible to get the job done as quickly as possible. And yet he hadn't.

Shockwave released a large plume of heady air from his facial vents. He felt content to call this cycle's progress anything but. The dark mech, visibly upset, reluctantly turned away from his experiments in the favor of a brief respite. Shockwave's inner workings hummed and rattled, anxious and annoyed. His own spark was pulsing in its casing, radiating his own limited range of emotions.

Passing by his work shelf in the main lab, the small creature located in the nearby tank followed his sluggish, annoyed movements. It chittered lowly and purred, hoping to catch Shockwave's attention. It had been three solar cycles since the brutal attempt on the beast's life. It had healed almost instantly; the only signs left of the mutilation were a few angular ribs that had yet to realign themselves back into place. Its skin had healed completely and the deep gash on its leg was nothing more than a pinkish line on its upper thigh. Even more shocking, was that it seemed to ignore the fact that it nearly died at Shockwave’s hands and continued to crave his affections.

It released a small whine, weakened and choked. Its white flanks heaved with the effort and could barely wag its tail. _The healing processes must have weakened it even more_ , Shockwave thought sourly. The scientist shining crimson optic snapped to the direction of the pitiful whine, his walk to his private quarters interrupted. His spark sank at the saddening state of the dying thing; its shriveled form calling for him. He knew the beast had developed some type of maternal relationship with him, despite his trying to kill it, and continuously sought his attention regardless.

Reaching into its tank and carefully wrapping his digits around its body, the beast went limp, mostly to assure it did not get pinched again. It remembered what happened, but Shockwave believed that the amount of sudden, unfamiliar stimulus confused the little creature, causing it not to relate the trauma to him. Thankful of its compliance, the scientist ran his thumb against beast's spine, feeling the small spines along its back and huffing in an amused way at the reaction he received. It purred quietly and shook in his hand. He moved back to his main workspace and allowed the beast to lay upon it.

The little thing rumbled slowly and dragged itself to be underneath a nearby light. The beast was growing progressively worse and it hardly made any noises now. It seemed only able to create low purrs and squeaks, or the occasional wail when it sought his attention. Its lungs struggled to process the air and its muscles had begun to weaken. Its only comfort was that of the small lamp’s heat and Shockwave's constant attentions.

Resting beneath the glowing heat lamp, one Shockwave had recently employed specifically for it, the beast gave a soft sigh. The scientist meant to move the light to its tank, but found that the creature wanted to spend more time outside the clear walls and with Shockwave. Watching the beast curl up and fall asleep, the scientist resumed some of his side experiments, ignoring the beast’s neglected appearance of loose skin and protruding bones.

One particular study was upon the side effects of mixing certain chemical compounds into pure, unprocessed energon, much like the kind Cybertronians required for sustenance. While many had debated upon the usefulness and relevancy of these experiments, several higher-ups advocated for more biological weaponry to add to the Decepticon arsenal of destruction. One dark hand carefully placed a small, round dish of pure energon near the heat lamp. It needed to be warmed to the average temperature of the Cybertronian body. Shockwave turned back to his formulas while it heated, mixing various colorful chemicals together and recording all kinds of new data. Shockwave didn't mind these experiments, as they tended to result in fascinating discoveries. He had recently made the most beautiful array of colors he had ever seen by mixing two very common mineral compounds and then setting it ablaze.

Sniffing softly, the beast raised its snout in curiosity as the scent of the warming energon drifted over it. Slowly it crawled over to the dish, its weakened limbs dragging it along, as the foreign smelling object was strange enough to wake the declining creature from it cozy slumber. Bumping its narrow snout into the edge, it blindly raised its head and dipped its nose into the top, fully expecting it to be solid. The creature jumped back in surprise and squeaked; little specks of energon arced through the air and landed in speckles by the creature’s paws. It fell to its haunches and sneezed three times before it shook its head and gasped for air.

Shockwave's single optic flicked over in suspicion to see the tiny thing using a pink appendage from within its mouth, its tongue he believed, to clean off the remaining energon that splashed onto its forelegs. The beast licked its snout clear, but immediately began sniffing about for more. Shockwave gently nudged the beast back in the direction of the dish, enraptured by its sudden interest in the energon. He arranged himself for optimal observation, taking in every minor detail with excruciating attention. The creature chirped softly and slinked closer to the dish, intrigued. Gingerly dipping its snout into it, it took a deep breath and inhaled its delicious scent. The beast released a soft growl and then gently began lapping up the substance, still curious of its taste. Its body came to a standstill as it perched next to the dish.

Shockwave noted how the creature was steadily consuming the energon. He was unaware of whether he should stop it or not, because he had no knowledge of its effects on the little beast's body. _Perhaps the creature knows already if it is safe to consume?_ Watching patiently, the scientist waited until the little beast had drank its fill. Only a few moments passed before it stopped, breathing deeply, and staggered back to lay down under the heat of the lamp. Shockwave observed how swollen the beast's belly appeared and noted that it had consumed only a very small percentage of what had been in the dish.

Shockwave noticed how the beast rested peacefully unlike prior periods of sleep that were interrupted by wild bouts of whining. Shockwave allowed the small creature its respite, seeing as how that was one of the only things it had the energy to do. He turned back to his experiments and pushed his scientific genius onward.

~~~

The beast stirred. Its lungs lurched and it slid its tail out from around its body. It slowly lifted its head and its ears rose slightly, erect and alert. Under the glowing warmth of the lamp and the metallic surface below radiating its heat, the creature let loose a low howling rumble. It spread its jaws wide and exhaled, licking its lips and tasting the sweet remnants of the earlier meal. Another rumble. _Where is the heat-giver?_ Chirping loudly and swishing its tail, it called for Shockwave. The scientist was in the other room, content to transcribe his experiments to code and prepare backups for backups in case of any emergency. Unable to hear anything over the constant beeping and clicking of his second processor, Shockwave did not respond to the needy beast. Silent for a moment, the little thing pricked it ears and listened. It heard the heat-giver's life pulses and knew he was near. It also heard the soft noises that Shockwave was making. It knew it had to be louder if it sought to receive his notice. It reared back its head and howled. After a few short moments, the creature heard a rummaging of metal materials and the heavy thuds of the heat-giver's paws.

"What is it, little moon?"

Shockwave placed himself before the little beast and noted how its swollen belly had disappeared. He figured its body would have rejected the inorganic liquid, but it seemed that it could ingest anything. He grabbed a smaller sample of energon and placed it before the beast. It squeaked, leaping up to its feet and drinking without hesitation. It turned its head in Shockwave's direction and let loose an enormously loud purr, wagging its tail furiously. It didn’t take long for him to notice that the creature’s skin had finished healing and it no longer sagged over its form. The creature’s broken bones were repaired as well, in fact, not a single bone was visible. _A single feeding has energized you this much? I can only imagine how big you’d be if I’d fed you earlier!_ Shockwave mused pleasantly.

Shockwave lowered his hand and allowed the beast to run its body across his palm. He could still feel the difference in temperature; even though it had been sitting under the heat lamp for quite some time, it still had a cold external temperature that reminded him of a block of ice. Shockwave huffed at that little quirk and the beast raised its head to face him. It climbed atop his hand, its forelegs draped over it and its back legs supporting its weight on the table. It pawed at its eyelids and mewled. Shockwave leaned in to get a better view, curious as to what the beast was trying to tell him or what it was trying to do.

Shockwave was absolutely confounded as to the beast's intentions. He watched for several moments and nothing appeared to be changing. The creature whimpered and laid back its ears, its paws tightening their grip on the dark metal of the mech's digits. It whipped its white head side to side viciously until it came to a sudden halt, a low warbling purr echoing from its throat. Its eyelids stirred, the pale blue orbs flickering beneath the thin layer of protective flesh. The beast had been blind since its hatching; it had been using its extremely developed hearing and smell to locate things and to communicate.

Its left eyelid twitched and a small slit opened up. A radiant shade of blue shown through the slit, glossy and bright. The other eyelid followed suit and then it pawed relentlessly at its eyes again. It chirped and pulled its small paws from its eyes. It opened them slowly, allowing light to seep in and to adjust. Shockwave was mesmerized by the beast's eyes; the irises were a kind of blue that was much like the early night sky; the kind that's just beginning to bloom with stars and graciously lit by the moon's silvery light. The pupils themselves were of the purest white, like tiny moons floating in space. Around the eyes were solid black lines that almost seemed to fade into the blue. Its eyes on the whole resembled a gorgeous night in untainted skies.

It blinked quickly and then locked eyes with Shockwave. They were glowing, blessed with some strange luminescence. He could see his reflection staring back at him from the beast's bright eyes. It chirped at him and began furiously wagging its tail. It managed to climb completely onto his hand and then proceeded to jump off and take in every sight with its new eyes. It sniffed and scurried upon the scientist's cluttered desk, associating new sights with old smells. Shockwave watched excitedly at the beast made connections and moved around with more confidence.

"Everything is much simpler when you have sight, is it not?" Shockwave was bemused.

How much has changed since the beast consumed the energon; why did he not think of that previously? Odd enough this little life was, and Shockwave treasured it. His optic flicked to the tiny white creature and he made a small chuff, steam leaving his facial vents. Mimicking him, the beast made a small huffing noise, throwing back its head. The little creature did not tire and was content to explore every available space on the desk. It ran up to Shockwave and began parading around making a cacophony of chirps and squeals of excitement. Shockwave kept a close optic on the little thing as it scurried along before him; he now had plenty of records to amend.


	7. With Feasting Hearts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well." - Virginia Woolf

Time passed quickly on the massive space station. It moved in a placid fashion high above the distant and bleak planet of Cybertron. The war that raged leagues beneath it on the planet's marred surface still dragged on, brutal and nowhere close to an end. Smoke and smog consumed the skies, once mighty cities lay in rubble, and broken bodies littered the landscape. Both factions were winning glorious battles and claiming new energon mines, depots, armories yet to be pilfered, gaining new advances, and ransacking enemy bases; both were also losing many nonrenewable assets and the bulk of their fighting forces as well. Some of the bots stationed high in space were glad to be isolated in safety far from the brutish conflict, suspended among the stars, while others yearned to feel the rush of combat and to satisfy their lust for death.

Along with several others who could not linger for long on the stagnant station, Megatron's mighty presence did not remain constant due to his being required elsewhere and his powerful desire to fight. Several of the higher-ups were appreciative of his leave and took that chance to do as they pleased, but still watchful of their actions. After all, the calculating Shockwave and the ever-present Soundwave were currently residing upon the station. It was not easy to get away with something if a master spy and cold logic followed your every move and motive. There was nothing that happened on that orbiting mass that the Lord Megatron didn't eventually find out about. Undermining authorities, stealing rations, or general disobedience were quick to be caught and reprimanded. The only crimes or trespasses that went unnoticed or unpunished had to be something that both Shockwave and Soundwave agreed that Megatron did not need to be informed of.

The mechs were loyal, but not to the degree that the Decepticon leader would have liked. They kept certain things from him in order to shift the direction of the cause, to protect themselves, or to manipulate their grizzled gladiator-turned-revolutionary leader. What he didn't know wouldn't hurt him ( _more or less_ ). Megatron was unaware of the two forces behind him that played parts far beyond what the dark mech thought possible. He was in charge, but his rallying force, his science, and his information came from those two key pieces. The war effort would not have lasted this long were it not for the secret scheming of Megatron's old gladiatorial companions and their shadowy influences.

As of now, Megatron was elsewhere, fighting on the frontlines and devising an entirely new approach to the enduring conflict on the once shining planet. A large part of that was solidified in the work on Trypticon Station with Shockwave experimenting in the sciences of dark energon and Soundwave listening in to both the Autobot and the Decepticon transmissions on the scarred surface below. Megatron hoped to accelerate the continuation of the war and bring it to a stunning halt; advanced weaponry and darkened super soldiers were the future tools of the revolutionary's militia. The leader's spark burned with the intense desire to obliterate any who opposed him, any who challenged him, and any who doubted him. He would crush the enemy beneath his mighty form.

He had left Shockwave and Soundwave with the joint leadership and control of the station in his temporary absence. Starscream had also gone with Megatron to the surface despite the growing animosity between them; Megatron believed it safer to keep the mutineer within striking distance. Soundwave was glad for the break from the flier's incessant whining and generally annoying presence. Shockwave was elated to have some time to avoid his lord's oppressive glare and dissatisfaction and to have time to truly focus on his works.

~~~

Humming and prancing along on the dark metal floor, the white beast waited for the return of the heat-giver. It had seen him leave through the silver passage and heard its angry hiss. It wandered up to the passage, hoping to follow the great heat-giver, but the passage remained closed. It stood upon its strengthening hind legs and placed its paws on the silver blockage. Letting loose a soft howl, it called for its caretaker.

 _Where did he go? Why did he leave?_ Its head was swimming in confusion and distress. After several long moments, the beast dipped its head and raced back across the room, its whole world, and continued to explore. While the heat-giver was away, the hatchling would play! Scanning for easy reaches it could leap to, it climbed all of the greatest heights ( _except for the greatest one in the corner which was a dark color and smelled really bad_ ), learned to identify everything by scent alone ( _from the blue-nest to the sticky muck on the flat death-mountain_ ), ran from one edge of the world to the next and back again, and found some of the strangest things. There were two silver passages opposite of each other ( _the heat-giver used both quite frequently_ ) and several bright things on the top of the world. They would show brightly only when it was dark and sometimes never showed up.

The heat-giver had once brought another heat-giver into the world through the silver passage. He was smaller and silvery and smelled like shadows; he had two dull red eyes and a sharp voice; it was light and airy. Not like the first one, the beast's heat-giver. He was bigger and taller and dark-gray-almost-black, smelled like warmth and home, and had only one great crimson eye and his voice was a deep rumble that shook bones.

The beast liked the first heat-giver more.

The beast ran to the next greatest height and skillfully mounted it, the muscles in its legs and back propelling it off the floor. Its claws hard begun to harden into sharp tips, slightly curved, and were useful in climbing. The pale creature cast its gaze around its whole world and sought new things to do. Before it could see, smell had allowed it to sense the world. Now its deep, starlit blue eyes gazed upon every sight with the most amused wonder. _Sight is a beautiful gift!_

It leapt down on to one of the lesser heights, which had four legs and a slick flat top. It smelled of warm food, of the heat-giver, and of itself. It knew this was the heat-giver's favorite spot. He was always sitting here and playing with shiny things and messing with the sweet liquid, the food. It sat upon its edge and looked for the other unexplored reaches. It dreamed of seeing through the great hole in the upper part of the world, which gradually changed color as time passed. Right now the hole was dark, with small little lights shining through. It changed from black, to a deep blue, then to a shining red and yellow before fading back to the darkest black. Unfortunately, there was no way to reach it so as to further examine it. The little creature had tried climbing but could not get close enough to it, and leaping the rest of the way only resulted in sore legs and a stiff ache when it proceeded to fall back down. It decided to leave that part of the world for when it got bigger and stronger. It huffed and puffed out its chest in pride, content with itself and its mostly-completed world.

The beast slipped back across the desk, sniffing and examining every single object that was upon it once more to refresh its memory. The tall light, red and warm ( _but not heat-giver warm_ ), the narrow scrapes and dents in the hard surface, and the heat-giver's favorite playthings. It remembered it had licked the surface once, smelling the lingering scent of food, but jumped back at the tangy, pungent taste. It was not sweet and warm, but cold and a sickly stale flavor. The beast chirped and promised itself to never do that again, its mouth smacking on the nastiness. It smelled the food once again, but resisted the urge to lap it up off the flat surface.

It quickly grew bored with the now dull colors and the usual smells, so the beast leapt down to the heat-giver's seat and from there to the cold floor where it then proceeded to run around the floor chasing shadows. Its legs felt cramped and its life-pulse hammered in its chest. It ran to the closed passage and slammed to a halt. It heard the heavy sounds, thumping down to the passage; it was the sound of the heat-giver! Knowing that it wasn't supposed to leave its nest, it charged back across the dark, silvery floor and climbed the great mountain to its see-through home.

It skillfully leapt over the edges and rustled through its nest, leaving no traces of its leaving the cage. It balled itself up, sniffing the cool air and the smooth scent of the heat-giver as the passage opened with a groaning hiss. It purred as he entered and wagged its tail with such ferocity that its whole body was shaking. The heat-giver huffed, air billowing from his head, and the beast quieted. He was not happy, but he was not angry, and the beast was confused. It cocked its head slightly and chirped, hoping to grab its one eye, a bright crimson that warmed the creature's pale skin.

Shockwave sat down next to the shelf were the beast resided and began toiling at his workspace. The beast sat curled up in its nest and watched patiently. It knew the heat-giver was slightly moody and when he sat at that one particular spot, he was not very kindly. The beast fell asleep, knowing full well that the heat-giver would not play with it today and that a deep rest was needed. It could feel the tiredness down to its core, and its eyes were heavy and fuzzy. Tucked beneath its blue haven, the beast began to sleep unaware of the dastardly experiments taking place beside it.

~~~

Shockwave worked quietly; it's not like he doesn't usually, but he was extra careful not to disturb the resting creature. He knew now that stasis or sleep or whatever it should be called was extremely important to the organism's development. It had been growing steadily since the first instance of it ingesting pure energon. He began giving it a diet of unfiltered and unprocessed energon since then and closely monitored its growth. It had nearly tripled in size in the thirteen solar cycles since the first consumption. Shockwave made sure to measure it often; its length, height, weight, and rate of consumption. It ate quickly and grew quickly. The rapid growth of the creature was astounding. It had yet to defecate, or produce waste of any kind, and the scientist was unsure of that meaning. Perhaps it was a side effect of ingesting energon, a non-organic substance?

He pushed the thoughts to the back of his processor and poured his focus into his current work. He was testing the infection rate of dark energon. If he dropped x amount of dark energon into x amount of pure energon, how much time would it take for the dark energon to convert the pure? Shockwave was interested in the endless supply of dark energon, which technically was limitless as long as you had pure energon to infect. The scientist made sure to allot a portion of the pure energon to the beast's food supply since it was the only way to acquire nourishment for it. But with the way that the beast was developing, much more energon would be required to sustain it. His gaze passed over the sleeping creature and he sighed. _What am I going to do with you, little moon?_

Pouring over his work, he proceeded to experiment for several hours. Beginning to develop a theory and formula for the infection rates, his mind was processing information at an astounding speed. He sat aside the dish with untainted energon under the heat lamp to begin his last trial. After several quiet moments, he heard faint noises coming from the beast's habitat.

~~~

The beast woke, shaken from its rest by the rich scent of food. It looked over, craning its neck to locate the source of the smell, its mouth opened slightly to taste the air. Rising to its paws, it stretched its tightened muscles and yawned. The bright blue of its eyes were shining at the prospect of a warm meal. It let loose a series of low clicks to grab the heat-giver's attention. At first he did not respond; the beast knew it would take a few tries before it would work because the heat-giver was busy with his playthings. Propping itself up on its hind legs and balancing with its lengthy tail, it howled loudly, using every breath in its massive lungs.

He looked up then, a puff of hot air escaping him, and he leaned in to pick up the creature. He very gently sat the beast under the warmth of the lamp, where it sat up and stared with starry eyes. It chirped again, awaiting the signal that said it was allowed to eat. It knew that the heat-giver had food that was not for eating and that it was bad. So it sat patiently until Shockwave pushed a small dish towards it. The dish was only half full of the sweet pink food and the beast dipped its head to him before beginning to drink. It was grateful for the care and expressed it by giving Shockwave its undivided attention and loyalty.

Shockwave shifted back to his work and began organizing his results into a well-stated conclusion that would be presented to Megatron. Perhaps this report would ease his leader's desire for results. He compiled every piece of necessary information and data code, including relevant uses and possible advancements. He was glad to finally have something to present, to have something completed. Once compiled, edited, reviewed, and edited once more, Shockwave sent it to his lord's personal database. He would await his reply.

Shockwave leaned back in his seat and vented warm air that leaked through his body. Pressure lifted from him and he dimmed his one optic. Relaxing for a few peaceful moments, he felt a slight nudge on his left hand. He peaked over, his optic barely lit, to see the little beast leaning against his hand; it made soft warbling noises as if to comfort him. Shockwave sat up and leaned over the beast. He ran a digit lightly over the creature's back, noticing the five bony ridges that formed along the length of its spine had grown taller and stiffer, as those on its tail, legs, forelegs, and on its head. Shockwave was sure the beast would be growing horns soon from the way they looked. It purred gently and pushed against him. Shockwave huffed softly and took away the emptied dish, setting it aside with other emptied ones that needed decontaminating.

"You certainly defy logic, don't you little one?" Shockwave murmured softly to the creature, relishing in the silence of his laboratory. It purred against his resting hand, its flanks heaving as it took a deep breath.

"How have you managed to survive this long, hmm? You are not of living metal as I am, but carbon-based." The beast crawled across his hand, now much smaller compared to its growing bulk, smelling it and inhaling his scent.

Shockwave observed quietly as the beast wandered across his desk, curiously inspecting his tools and tasting the air. It neared one of the larger dishes that contained the main sample of dark energon and it crept forward, intrigued. Shockwave watched carefully, aware that the beast might think that the dark energon is the same as the pure and try to consume it. He would intervene if it did so, but not before.

Creeping closer, it sniffed the outer rim and sneezed, shaking its head and pawing at its sensitive nose. It leaned closer and inhaled the aroma of the thick liquid and yelped. It threw itself backwards, tossing itself away from the large bowl. It whimpered and pawed violently at its snout, hoping to rid itself of the smell. It burned its nostrils and stung its throat. The scent was sharp and rancid, sickly even. Shockwave was entranced, observing the beast's odd behavior. It took a deep breath from its mouth and began panting. Shockwave picked up the beast gently and placed it back underneath the heat of the lamp as he stowed the dark energon in a safe place.

When he returned, the creature had curled up under the warming rays, its breathing returned to normal. Shockwave wondered to himself why the creature responded in such a way to the dark energon but not the pure. Was it because it simply smelled bad, or was it something else entirely? Shockwave would never know seeing as how the beast could not speak. It looked up at him as he sat back down, its deep blue eyes shining in the light. They blinked slowly, the moon-like centers of its eyes staring directly at him. It chirped and warbled, singing him a song in a language he would never truly understand.

There were times when the creature's noises resembled certain vocals in Cybertronian, but would be equal only to incoherent babbling. Shockwave was impressed already with this formidable hatchling and was excited to see how large it would grow.

Further tests with dark energon would be required. Perhaps if the infection was delayed in pure energon, the beast would not detect it? Shockwave was stumped; yet another puzzle was presented by his little hatchling.


	8. What Keen Perception

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "There are things known and there are things unknown, and in between are the doors of perception." - Aldous Huxley

Soundwave lurked like a silent shadow through the darkened passageways of the space station. His skulking form slinked through the murky darkness, watching for spilled secrets and interesting tidbits of loose information. He was spying of course, but not on any particular person; he was spying just to spy. It was one of Soundwave’s favorite activities on the dull station; he didn’t really have much else to do.

Footsteps echoed softly off the empty halls, almost unheard, as the spymaster searched for scandals and lies, for tricks and treachery. A quiet hiss and a glittering scarlet, fire-bright optic accompanied the ticking and whirring of Soundwave's inner-workings. Ravage's shining silver shape paced beside him, eager to detect new scents and new ventures as his master commanded. The dark felid slipped into the vents and back into passageways like a spirit unseen, his long tail winding behind him like a metallic whip. Growling softly, he approached his master and dipped his head in a respectful gesture.

"Master, I have made contact with Buzzsaw's creature and the scientist." Ravage whispered, his voice smooth and thick in the darkness as he spoke. Most didn’t believe Ravage to anything more than a savage mech, but you’d find he’s one of the most intelligent, eloquent speakers you’ve ever met.

Soundwave shot him a deadly glance from glaring optics, his spark shaking in hidden agitation at the mention of his lost minicon.

"It is not Buzzsaw's creature. It belongs to Shockwave. As for having made contact with it, what have you discovered, Ravage?" Soundwave was fairly confident in Ravage’s stealth abilities, so he didn’t mind if the felid wanted to peek into Shockwave’s lab.

Ravage would have apologized for the emotional trespass, for he mourned the loss of his brother in arms as well, but it was passed and it would be best not to drag it back up again. He dipped his head once more. "It has grown quite large; it does not reach my height, but it is twice as long as I. Its body is white like the moon in full shine and it appears to be quite lithe. When it reaches maturity, it will be a formidable opponent to all who should dare to challenge it."

Ravage was actually surprised by the creature's structure; it would be very powerful when it was grown. He knew this would be true just by glancing at its muscular and sleek frame. Perfect for speed and strength to meld into one skilled body. Its long tail would be a perfect balance when speeding across the empty plains and its muscular limbs would allow it to leap across great distances and climb mighty peaks. All in all, it was designed to be an apex predator. Wherever the creature had come from, it must be a harsh, predatory world.

Soundwave made no indication of his feelings, but only made more inquiries of his minicon. "And what of Shockwave? Do you know of _his_ plans for the creature now that it has hatched?"

Ravage shook his head in defeat; he was completely unaware of any solid plans the scientist may have had.

"Shockwave is unsure of what to do with the beast. It has yet to reveal any uses."

He left out the part about saving it, about Shockwave _almost killing it_. He knew well enough that Soundwave would question his reasons for intervening. _It's best to leave it alone_ , Ravage decided with a soft grunt.

Soundwave began walking down the passageway that led to the control room and communications office. Ravage began to follow, his long silver tail glistening in the dim light. The silence between them was both comforting and disquieting. Ravage wanted more orders, a directive maybe. He was tired of wandering the ventilation shafts aimlessly. He paced quickly up to his master's side and looked up, his single scarlet optic twitching and flicking from side to side.

"Should I watch them, master?" Ravage didn't want to pester Soundwave, but he needed another job, he needed orders.

Soundwave nodded and warned Ravage. "Do not let Shockwave see you, but try to learn more of the creature. If that means interacting with it, do so." Soundwave continued on down the passageway, leaving the silvery felid in the darkness.

Ravage turned to creep back towards the main laboratory. His pawsteps were silent and made not a single echo as he walked. His processor was thinking quickly, stuck on the image of the moon-skinned beast. When he approached and empty juncture in the hallways, Ravage sat upon his haunches. A strange feeling had seemed to overcome him as he pictured the bleeding creature. Ravage thought about his orders to watch and observe the creature.

He was _glad_ to have orders, but it seemed like something greater, something more than this war, was at work. _I can feel something strange pushing on us, something beyond our understanding,_ Ravage muttered to himself. A more powerful force was at play now and he could feel it pushing down on him, but he didn't know what and perhaps he never would know, but in watching the little creature he felt he might catch a fleeting idea. _Something, or someone, powerful has come into play_ , Ravage said with a low tone.

He shook off the feeling and slipped into a nearby shaft, sniffing the air to catch the beast's scent and disappeared into the pitch black tunnels, his prey in within his reach.

~~~

Shockwave chuckled, a strange sound for him, but laughter none the less.

He peered down at the tiny creature and felt another bout of laughter rise from him. The creature, which was fairly large now, was running back and forth across the lab with odds and ends in its jaws. Shockwave had gone searching for something earlier and had yet to find it ( _he assumed it was misplaced_ ) and his little beast was trying to help him by bringing him anything it could fit between its teeth. Most of the things it came to him with were not what he really needed, but more like trinkets it found lying around the laboratory and the adjoining rooms. Shockwave took each item though and placed them in separate piles neatly on his workspace. _That’s one way to straighten up the laboratory,_ Shockwave mused with a pleasant gleam.

The creature had even observed Shockwave’s piling of the objects on his desk and had gone so far as to begin making its own piles of things. It immediately went about collecting every small, loose item it could get its paws on. Shockwave was surprised when he looked down, expecting to be handed another diminutive tool or loose piece of metal, to find a collection of screws, nuts, and bolts at his feet. The pile was small, as Shockwave was keen on cleaning up after himself, but he knew he didn’t get everything. The creature sat by its pile of loose bits and hard work, its chest puffed up in pride and satisfaction. Its tail flicked from its side to push a screw back into place when it began to roll away.

Shockwave grabbed an empty bin and began placing the screws in it, the beast even trying to help there by picking up screws in its mouth and dropping them with a loud _clink_. Appreciative of his newest helper, Shockwave stroked the beast’s back, again measuring the hardness of the five sharp spikes along its spine. The creature slipped away from his hand and it weaved its lithe body against his legs and purred loudly.

_You sure are affectionate, little moon._

Reaching into a small metal box, Shockwave removed a fragment of unprocessed energon. In this state, energon was in a crystal-like state and was extremely hard. After discovering the beast’s affinity for energon, he often rewarded its good behavior by giving it a small piece of the hard energon to gnaw on. Its gleaming teeth scored deep marks in its pinkish-purple surface, but it purred wildly at the taste.

Shockwave went back to his toil and cleaned up his work space. All of the things the creature had brought were being returned to their proper places. The tin of screws, the few tools, and a few pieces of broken glass and scrap metal when to their rightful homes. Gazing back at his desk, he watched his beast leap onto his chair in a single bound and then proceed to climb into its ever-shrinking tank home. The energon was clutched in its jaws. The creature dropped the scored up hunk of energon into its nest ( _the blue cloth_ ) and buried it between the folds of fabric. Content with its work, it leapt right back out and began pacing the room, looking for more to do.

The creature climbed onto his desk and sniffed the metal surface. It took its usual spot under the heat lamp and lay upon its side. Shockwave sat back at his workspace and patted the creature’s head gently. Sitting as his desk, the scientist was once more analyzing dark energon and its tumultuous effects. Remembering the beast’s prior reaction to dark energon, Shockwave decided to do a few little tests.

He took an empty petri dish and poured a decent amount of pure, untainted energon. Using a small dropper, he let one single, tiny drop of dark energon mix into the pure. He mixed it more evenly, noting the small change in the color of the energon. Shockwave had successfully delayed the infection rates of dark energon and wanted to see how long it would take as compared to original, unaltered energon. Shockwave hesitantly pushed the dish towards the beast and waited for its usual behavior of signaling for food. It dipped its head and Shockwave nudged the dish closer.

_You’re quite intelligent and fairly developed in visual and vocal communication._

Padding up quickly, the creature sniffed the dish as it always did. It took several long draughts of air and Shockwave watched it intensely.

_But are you smart enough to know when you’re being poisoned?_

The creature flicked it ears and sat back, cocking its head in confusion. It sniffed again and again until it finally laid its ears flat against its head. A growl rumbled in its throat and a snarl exposed its long, blade-like teeth. The beast lashed its tail and used it head to push the dish back over to Shockwave. It snorted at him and made a sort of huffing complaint.

_You could detect that infinitesimally small amount of dark energon?_

The beast’s rich blue eyes locked with his and he could feel its confused, yet accusing glare.

_Perhaps you are smarter than I previously believed…_

He gave the beast a long draught of pure energon for its meal. It checked over this one just as thoroughly as the last; when it was sure it was safe, it began to drink quickly.

~~~

Into about Shockwave’s third tedious hour of dark energon study, he noticed his creature acting strangely. He flicked his crimson optic over to it now, where the creature’s head was raised and its ears pricked. Suddenly it flew upright, its eyes and ears straining to detect something on the other side of the room. Its muscles rippled under its skin as it prepared to strike and its tail moved slowly from side to side. Shockwave heard a low rumble form in its breast, a true growl unlike anything he had heard from it before. He rose from his seat and stood by the edge of his desk, facing in the same direction as the beast.

"What do you see, little one? What do you hear?" Shockwave knew very well that the creature was not capable of responding to his questions, but ask of it he did.

It began growling even more fiercely and laid back its ears in a sign of pure aggression. It bared its teeth in a nasty snarl, shining bright in the dim lights of the lab. Its tail lashed from side to side ever so slowly, every muscle in its body contorted to display hostility as its bunched up in a pounce. Its wide white pupils, once full moons, had turned to mere slits of gleaming white. They looked more like blades than moons, now.

Shockwave wondered what had agitated his normally calm creature so; he carefully picked up the beast, which did not respond to the touch other than to flick its right ear, and he wondered if it would lash out at him. The scientist placed it on the ground and the beast merely stood stock-still, growling into the darkness of the lab. Shockwave sat back down at his desk and watched the beast. For several long moments it did not move besides to lash its tail or snarl at some imperceptible threat. It crept forward a tiny bit, its soft paw pads hiding the sound of its steps.

Suddenly it lurched forward and leapt across the floor with such speed and agility that Shockwave was alarmed by its prowess. A sickening sound of metal grinding against metal raced through the air and Shockwave moved closer to investigate. The cover of the lowest ventihaltion shaft had been tossed away towards him. It was bent in several places and the hinges had been torn clean off. Long scratch marks marred its dull surface. Flicking his crimson optic up, he heard the creature's threatening growl and the gasp of engines and gears being held firmly in place; a mechanical hiss and snarl accompanied them.

Hastily raising the intensity of the lights, Shockwave was surprised to see the beast pinning a writhing _Ravage_ to the ground. The creature had its claws snagged on the felid’s body, its tail curled around Ravage’s to prevent being whipped, and its teeth were buried in the feline mech’s thin neck cabling. Ravage had no room to struggle free, as Shockwave’s creature had him truly cornered. Shockwave only now noticed how the beast was nearly twice Ravage's size now and the felid’s strength was no match for that of the white creature.

Shockwave quickly reached down and separated the two diminutive beasts; it was fairly hard to get the beast to release Ravage’s neck from its jaws. As he held his growling organic in one hand, he watched as Ravage rose to his metal paws, his joints squealing in protest and a multitude of scratches and bites shining on his body.

"You shouldn't be here, Ravage. I don't appreciate being spied upon." Shockwave stated slowly, his crimson optic locked with the mechanical feline's.

"The little one has grown considerably since I have last gazed upon it. Looking through vents does not do its size justice." His optic focused on the beast that now sat quietly in Shockwave's right hand. The beast had it tail wrapped around the scientist’s forearm and its body was almost too big for his hand.

"Did you tell it to attack me?" He asked softly, distracted by the creature itself, and ignoring Shockwave's outright distaste for spying.

"No. It sensed your presence when even I could not." Shockwave was mesmerized by the beast's expanding skills. _What would will you do next?_

Ravage made a low rumble in his chest and chirped at the beast. It chirped back after several moments, but a muted and hesitant sound it was.

"Astonishing. It must have sight and hearing beyond that which seems normal for its kind. _Organics_ , that is. I know nothing of its capabilities beyond that of which it has previously displayed. But this creature is a destined fighter, that I do know." Ravage spoke as if the beast were some noble thing to bow down before. Shockwave dismissed the attitude and sat the beast in front of Ravage.

"What do you think, little moon? He is no enemy, but is he a _friend_?" He knew Soundwave would have one of his many minicons spying upon him; especially since the creature's hatching.

Shockwave squatted near the creature; it stared up at him as he spoke, its eyes round again like moons set in a pure blue sky. It clicked in response, turning to face Ravage. The feline mech's tail swished across the ground as it watched its toned muscles ripple under the smooth white skin. Approaching slowly, it dipped its head and sniffed the air around the mech. It growled, but Ravage made no move to attack or response. It growled louder, but still Ravage did not move.

"I do not fear you, but I _respect_ you, little one. Quiet your hostilities and be peaceful before me." His voice was unusually gentle and the beast came to rest upon its haunches with a low huff. Ravage dipped his head and released a soft hum, a few rumbling purrs, and a quick chirp. He flicked his optic in Shockwave's direction and flexed his claws.

"You protect him as he protects you. But he needs no protection from me, little one." Shockwave grunted in disagreement; there was no doubt in his mind that Ravage has been spying on the pair for quite some time.

At the sound of Ravage's attempt to communicate, the beast sat up quickly, cocked its head, and began purring. It gingerly pushed its head into Ravage's neck and shoulder; even carefully the beast nearly toppled the mech over. The scientist sat and witnessed this, taking in the strangest sight he had ever seen before in his long life. Ravage peered up and spoke in a calm voice.

"This beast believed me a threat because I concealed myself in darkness, but now it knows I am a friend. This is a sign of affection common among many organic creatures." Ravage nudged the beast away and it chirped softly; it retreated back to Shockwave and ran its body along his legs, weaving back and forth.

"That too is a possessive and affectionate display. It thinks highly of you, Shockwave. That is why it rushed to defend you." Ravage moved to exit the way he came in, although it had been by force, and slipped back into the shadows.

"I shall desist spying if you are willing to keep Soundwave informed of the beast's development." The silvery mech's voice melted out of the darkness.

Shockwave did not respond, but instead replaced the beaten vent cover. He placed the beast back in its too-small tank and settled back at his desk. Things just kept getting stranger and stranger.

_This beast is developing at an extraordinary rate; it consumes energon, can sense the insensible, and is intelligent enough to associate objects with other objects. What would it do next? Speak fluent Cybertronian?_


	9. The Spoken Word

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "No matter what people tell you, words and ideas can change the world." - Robin Williams

The creature stirred in its nest; the sensation of a much cooler breeze dipping into its home had woken it from its cozy dozing. Raising its head slowly, it stretched its jaws and yawned. The feeling of air passing through its massive lungs exhilarated the beast. It blinked the sleep away and purred softly. Gazing around the room from the safety of its clear-home, the beast searched for the glowing warmth of the heat-giver. Rising to its paws and curling its toes on the surface of the nest, it heard the faint _click-click_ of its hardening claws. It licked its paws, admiring the slight curve and razor-like points of its glistening claws. Its tail ran along the chilly glass and it shivered in pleasure. _Hrumph_! A satisfied puff of air escaped its nostrils.

 _I'm growing! Soon I shall be too big for the clear-nest and the heat-giver will give me a new one! Maybe I shall be allowed to walk wherever I want whenever I please?_ It swished its lengthy tail and chuffed in delight.

The icy breeze again cascaded down into the tank and the beast sneezed. It looked up and found that no more air was stirring. Chirping curiously, it crouched and sprung outwards of the nest. Landing gracefully on the desk beside it, the beast sniffed the air for the traces of cold, crisp air. The room was warm, but the blasting breezes stated otherwise. Its ears pricked and its white pupils narrowed into gleaming slits; the beast searched for the source.

 _What makes my home cold? Familiar is this breeze that cools my skin and chills my bones, but where is it coming from?_ The beast groaned in aggravation. Suddenly a gust of freezing air knocked the beast from the desk and blew it towards the floor. Maneuvering quickly by rotating its tail, the beast landed safely on its paws, muscles bunching to absorb the shock. Growling from the depths of its throat the beast tossed its head about in search of its attacker. Its lips curled and it growled wildly; it stalked through the lab. The beast saw no one and was utterly confused, but refused to lower its guard.

_"Calm yourself, Child of the Moon."_

_Another voice! Another new-speaker!_ Much like the one before it, it echoed from nowhere. But this one was different; it was deeper in sound and thrummed through the bones in great hollow booms. The beast sat still and perked up, but it did not hide its fury. It again tried to look for the speaker, the second maker-of-words to appear before the beast.

 _Whoosh!_ Again the freezing air thrashed over the pale skin of the little creature. The wind tore at its pelt, chilling the hot blood and calming the raging beast. The breeze gained color, a shade, a hue like the light from a reflection, there but not and shining in dull light. Blinking several times, the beast hummed softly at the tossing wind as it began to take shape, its curiosity rising to consume it. The wind, the gale, coiled around it and then settled before it, taking a form much like the beast, but see-through and constantly moving; the wind-color was pale and wispy and fading quickly, only to reappear in another gust of wind. Its eyes, or what should be eyes, resembled two stars that shone of bright gold. They twinkled in a dying light, fading in and out.

_"I am the sky-tossed soul of your father, little one, carried here by the winds of time. The empty tones of my voice greet you, as I shall help you to do."_

His voice was melancholic, like the winds that pass through abandoned homes and empty streets. It echoed like the wind passing through a hollow tube. His body, his form, was rotating and spinning, little pieces of breeze breaking off and dying, weakening the central cyclone of his soul.

_"I do not have much time, my lost daughter. I weaken as all winds must do. Listen closely to my voice so that you may have your own."_

Curling up and rising like a mighty tempest, it curled away from the ground and coiled itself around the beast's soft throat to squeeze gently. It was freezing cold, but that didn't bother the beast. It was comforting, relaxing, it felt like a home that was not known to it.

_"I present to you your second gift: The Gift of Many Voices. You shall never struggle to find words, for you shall know them all. You will speak words and be understood by all with a voice as clear as ice and as strong as the storming seas. Speak freely, speak loudly, and speak only from your heart."_

With that last word the beastly cyclone tightened around the beast and spilled into its throat. It didn't burn, or hurt, but felt like the coolest liquid quenching the hottest throat. It melted into the lungs and tongue, granting the beast the gift of words. Soon it dissipated and retreated, swirling away into stagnant space, disappearing as quickly as it had arrived. Unlike the gift from her mother, this gift was nearly painless, and almost pleasant.

Abandoned and surrounded by still air, the beast sighed and swallowed air in heavy gulps. The cool sensation in her throat slowly retreated and was gone as quickly as it had come. Like the storm-soul, its head was spinning with the knowledge racing through her mind.

_She could now speak?_

_She could say the words of her mind?_

_What would she sound like?_

_Like her mother or her father?_

_Or maybe the heat-giver!_

Standing tall, the beast cracked open her jaws and exhaled, but no words were produced. Nothing but an empty sigh and sheer disappointment. Silent in confusion, she tried again, producing a soft whisper of a non-existent word. She growled and sat roughly on her haunches. She slapped her tail down and eyed her paws, once again brought to admire her glistening talons.

Grunting softly, she stalked back to the clear-home and leapt back inside. She cleared it easily, jumping was quite simple due to her muscular hind legs. Slipping into the blue-nest, she buried herself within its comforting folds. Her head propped on her tail, she sighed deeply.

 _Maybe I'm too tired to talk and need to rest. Or perhaps it takes time; maybe I must learn it?_ She curled up tightly and huffed. Her eyes were heavy and her lungs felt like they were full of fluid. The white beast was surprisingly exhausted, but was too excited to sleep. Her pupils slipped back to the shape of a swollen moon and were rimmed by the night sky. Lying in a state of drowsy exhilaration, the beast took deep breaths and soaked up the cool air around her.

 _Maybe she could talk, yet she knew no words_. The beast chirped and raised its head, perking its rounded ears.

_Wait? Then how am I thinking the words now? These very words!_

The beast blinked, her face contorted into a grimace of sheer confusion.

_I am confusing myself. I really do need to sleep!_

~~~

Shockwave paced back and forth in his lab. His spark was bouncing like a bullet and burned like acid. The Decepticons had just suffered a devastating blow; one of their larger energon mines had just been taken by the Autobots. There were heavy casualties and several of the higher-ranked officials were captured. Shockwave knew there would be no living with Megatron now.

 _Time is of the essence_ , he says.

 _You must find the answers Shockwave_ , he says.

Shockwave hissed inwardly, cycles upon cycles of frustration finally escaping in a flurry of rage. He grabbed the nearest object and hurled it across his lab, taking his pain and anger with it. It shattered with the force of impact and cascaded down in a glimmering spray of glass. Shockwave looked at it, scrutinizing the glass, scrutinizing himself. Another hiss as he turned away from the glittering mess.

"Now I am short a beaker and must clean an avoidable mess." He sighed as his spark settled in its chamber and his processor cleared.

A low rumble made him look down. The little beast sat before him, its head cocked sideways and blue eyes wide. It was probably wondering why he had just thrown a perfectly good glass container across the room. He squatted down and collapsed against the wall. He leaned back and sighed his desperation, letting his emotions escape him.

"What am I to do, little one? I cannot find my answers fast enough for Megatron and we have suffered a terrible loss." Shockwave confessed his thoughts and feelings. For a moment he realized he was talking to a semi-intelligent organic beast which didn't possess the cognitive ability to communicate with his language. He merely cast the thought to the side and continued his admission. Others may say he didn't have emotions, but that was because he kept them hidden, locked away from prying optics; the beast wouldn't be telling anyone.

The hatchling simply stared at him, its blue eyes just as mesmerizing as the first time they opened. It blinked once and padded towards him. Settling near his right hand, the beast ran its body across it and purred loudly in attempt to comfort him.

"You know that means they'll cut our rations, right little one? You won't be getting spoiled all the time." Shockwave cooed to the little beast. It began wagging its tail so furiously that it shook its haunches, nearly falling over. It climbed onto his lap and stood on his right leg, placing its forelimbs on his lower torso. The beast had gotten larger, so it now took two hands to hold it. It had nearly doubled in size since the encounter with Ravage and had consumed even more energon than before. Shockwave's attention snapped back when the beast chirped and hummed, acting quite strangely. It seemed to be huffing air, trying to make sounds it was incapable of producing or hadn't made before. It made a slow hissing noise, then a harsh crack, and then a rounding hum.

"What are you trying to say, little one?" The scientist was curious.

Again the series of odd huffs and puffs and clicks, but it made more familiar sounds. Almost _mechanical_ hisses and clicks, really.

"Try again little one, you'll get it."

Another series of sharper clicks and hums, almost identical to the Cybertronian language. The beast took another deep gulp of air, hesitated, and tried again.

" _Shockwave_!" It was so soft, young, new, gentle, and unimaginably innocent. It breathed deeply again and laughed, a sweet sound of naivety and youth.

Shockwave was absolutely bewildered. He froze, he sat stock-still, he nearly shut down, and he just stared. The beast quirked its head and hummed softly in concern. After several moments of watching the little white beast, he cleared up and began to function properly.

"Little one, do that again." He was soft-spoken and quiet now, awe had taken over. There was an organic beast producing inorganic, purely mechanical, electronic noises. How could it have the vocal capacity to do such? Or even the mental capacity to think the word to speak?

"Shockwave!" Again it made such a sweet, musical voice; it was lilting like a newborn sparkling's. It had no gruffness or roughness, only a silken voice.

"How do you know my name?" He asked slowly. Perhaps it only knew his name?

"I… listen." The beast responded just as slowly, its words melting together as it formed the new noises and foreign words. It was still learning the sounds and patterns of the heat-giver’s language.

"How do you know Cybertronian?" He was beyond bewildered now; he was completely shocked, unraveled, astounded, and so utterly amazed at his little hatchling. It was talking in Cybertronian, however imperfect; it was speaking a mechanical language!

"I learn… from… Shockwave! And… others." It responded faster. With each word it became more confident in pronunciations. It would get better at speaking, but it would take time for its vocal cords to adjust. Before Shockwave could ask another question, it continued to speak.

"Why… throw clear…” It glanced at the shattered mess. “Thing?” It snorted at the glass fragments.

“It’s Messy!" It cocked its head and hummed, confused at Shockwave's actions.

"I was… frustrated. I behaved incorrectly. Learn from this, little one, do not act on your anger. It only leads to more trouble." Shockwave reached to pet the beast, running his fingers over its back. The single row of knobs along its back had become more defined and harder, as had the two spikes on its tail and head. They were still longer now, and slightly rounded, but they would soon be much larger and sharper.

"I promise… to think before… before I act!” It purred with a smile that showed off its razor fangs. The little thing was eager to use its new voice, no matter how much more it had to learn of the language.

The scientist coiled his fingers gently around its growing body and could feel its toughened ribs. They had long since healed after the incident, becoming twice as strong. It rumbled under his touch, running its knobbed spine along his fingers.

"When you say you learned from myself and others, who are the others?" The scientist was curious as to how much the beast knew and understood. _Can it recognize different bots? Is it by scent or sight, maybe even sound?_

"You are heat-giver. Others heat-givers, too.” It paused at it formed newer words in its mouth.

“Other heat-giver is sneaky and smells like shadow… only heard him once." It took another breath and rumbled. "And foe-friend. He was in walls to watch us, but he was friendly." The beast had a high-pitched but smooth voice and was a treat to listen to. It blinked quickly and then pawed at its ear, alleviating a building itch.

"That would be Ravage that was in the walls. He likes to spy." Shockwave tossed over in his mind who the other mech might be.

"What do you mean by 'heat-giver'?" He asked quickly, wondering about the little beast's choice of description.

"Like you! You are warm!" The beast chirped with delight. It purred again and its eyes shone with delight. "Other heat-giver not as warm… I think because he smaller than you." The beast flicked its ears at him.

 _Well that was helpful_. Shockwave was a rather large mech, so most others were much smaller than him.

"How much smaller?" This beast was terrible with comprehensive descriptions. _Where did it get its atrocious vocabulary?_

"He little more than half with red eyes and silver skin." The beast tipped its head and added, "You don't like very much."

 _Soundwave. That's who it was._ Of all the bots it could have possibly been, Soundwave was first to mind.

"How do you know I don't like him?" Shockwave asked amusedly. Was it so easy to detect his distaste for the spy? Perhaps he wasn't so good at hiding his emotions as he thought.

That wasn't a pleasant thought.

The beast hummed in hesitation and then responded slowly.

"Your life-pulse gets angry. Then you are quiet." The beast said this softly, trying not to sound mean.

Shockwave chuckled at his hatchling.

"My _life-pulse_?" This beast had a strange way of saying the simplest things. He found he liked it.

It nodded its head and climbed up onto Shockwave's chest using its well adapted claws and tail for balance. It pressed its head against Shockwave's spark casing and smiled. It nudged into the metal and quieted; it appeared to be holding its breath.

"I hear it now! It like a purr, but much, much louder!" It blinked up at him and chirped in pride. It climbed all the way up to perch on his shoulder and nuzzled against his head, purring.

"Well I call that my _spark_ , little one. Every bot you shall meet on this planet has one." He didn't mean that the beast would actually meet another bot since it would remain in his lab, but only to get his point across.

"Do I have one?" It stared at him, a pale reflection showing in his crimson optic.

How should he answer? The creature didn't have a spark but a heart, and it wasn't the same thing. But perhaps it would help for the beast to use their anatomical terminology instead of its own. It would save things from being lost in translation.

"Of course." The beast perked up at this answer and wagged its tail.

Shockwave stood up and walked back to his desk. The beast was clutching tightly to his shoulder and chirping softly. When Shockwave sat back down, the beast climbed off and slipped onto the desk. It turned its head and sniffed. Shockwave figured it might be hungry as it hadn't been fed recently. The beast had begun to consume large quantities in sparse intervals, only eating when it was truly hungry. Or whenever Shockwave offered it treats or snacks. He pulled out a small dish, now fully belonging to the beast, and poured a decent allotment of energon.

The beast squealed in delight and approached the dish. It paused when it reached it and turned to face the heat-giver. It remembered the sour smell from before. It checked before every meal now.

"What is it?"

"It is energon."

" _Energon._ " It repeated the word, committing it to memory. It dipped its head and began to eat having smelled it was clean and safe.

Shockwave wondered if the beast was male or female. Knowing only a little about organics, he understood that almost all newborns were the same chemically and mentally. Upon further development, they became specialized and either developed an abundance one of two chemicals. The scientist knew that organic beings could be separated and categorized into two sexes, that for some inexplicable reason, had different responsibilities in the course of reproduction. If he had to judge, unaware of how to tell the difference other than by knowing the range of hormonal chemicals in each sex, that this little beast was a female. Then again, Shockwave wasn't so sure. He would have to test its blood.

Rising from his seat, Shockwave retrieved a simple chemical test that required only a small drop of blood to work. Getting the blood might be a problem. Maybe if he just asked the beast what it was, it would know. If it didn't, he would test it. He turned to face the feasting creature.

"Little one, do you know if you are male or female?" Shockwave was unaware if it even knew what those terms meant.

Raising its head, it swiped its tongue over its mouth to clean off the remaining energon. It appeared to be thinking hard; its eyes were squinting up and it was making an odd grimace as it stared into space.

"No." It blinked and added quickly, unscrewing its face, "But they called me _'daughter'_ once."

Daughter. So it was female.

"Then you are female, little one." _Wait._ Who was the 'they' that the beast had referred to?

"Who is ' _they_ '?"

"My mother and father… they gave me gifts." It chirped with every ounce of truth in its tiny white body.

Shockwave said nothing, he only stared.

"A gift to eat and a gift to speak."

Shockwave figured the beast had been hallucinating. _Or dreaming. Whatever that was._ Shockwave looked over the little creature and found himself perplexed. It must have inherited knowledge through its genetics and that was how it had developed it vocabulary and beliefs. How else could it, she, have such a foreign vocabulary and abstract thought process?

"What else did they tell you little one?" He would humor it.

"Not… much. They both said _'child of the moon_ ' though." She shivered at the phrase.

Shockwave huffed. What did she mean by "child of the moon"? That made absolutely no sense. The moon could not have children, it's physically impossible.

"Have you seen them since then?"

"No. They had no time left."

_This little beast is very odd._

"No time left? What do you mean?"

"They could only stay for a little. They died… and had to go."

" _Died_? So you are saying ghosts visited you and bestowed gifts?”

“Yes.” This was pure nonsense.

The beast had finished her meal and was now lying contentedly under the heat lamp. The beast licked its paw, cleaning the curved claws that were hardening into powerful weapons. It licked its paw and swiped it over her ears to clean them.

"Do you believe it could have been a dream? That you imagined it?" Shockwave realized he still had the blood test in his hand and stood to replace it.

The beast met his gaze, blue burning into crimson with a fierce intensity.

"No, Shockwave. I could feel them… they were real." It rose to its feet, eyes narrowed into a glowing look of stubbornness. The round moons disappeared and became icy slits of pure defiance.

Shockwave raised his hand for peace, "I believe you then, little one. I myself don't believe in spirits or ghosts, so I had only to ask you." He would pacify her simply because he did not wish to argue.

She sat on her haunches and sighed. "You don't believe in them, but it doesn't mean they aren't real." She spoke slowly, calmly. A maturity entered her voice now, as if she had aged in the span of a few brief moments.

"Well, until I _see_ one, they do not exist to me." Shockwave said this matter-of-factly, showing the beast he didn't take to flights of fancy.

The beast rumbled and rolled back under the lamp, her back to him as she stretched her cramped muscles and yawned.

_He will learn._

Shockwave walked away, huffing in exasperation.

The first conversation he has with his miracle hatchling and it’s about spirits and make-believe things! What in the great wide universe had he gotten himself into?

Turning back to his task, he clicked open the shelf and placed the blood test back among the other unused ones. With the final sealing click, the scientist heard the door to his lab hiss open.


	10. A Fiendish Plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "The greatest deception men suffer is from their own opinions." - Leonardo da Vinci

Lazerbeak made it his personal business to interrogate his feline brother. For the past vorn, the dumb felid has been absent and hard to get into contact with. He won't answer his communications-link, and when he does respond, he sounds as if he'd been interrupted during something _excruciatingly_ important! Lazerbeak's spark roiled at the thought of his eldest sibling sneaking off to Primus knows where to do whatever it is he's been doing. The miniscule bot flapped his wings and hissed in agitation, catching the watchful optics of his master not two wing-lengths away.

The silvery mech gave his minicon a cross look, asking and demanding simultaneously that the mech explain himself or cease his annoying actions.

"Does it not _bother_ you, master, that your eldest is always slipping away?" Lazerbeak spit the words out like they were made of acid, clear in his distaste for his older sibling's behavior.

Soundwave cocked his head and gave off an air of disappointment.

"He is under _my_ instruction, Lazerbeak. Do not mistake his absence for disobedience; he is working _diligently_ to keep me updated on a myriad of subjects." Soundwave said scornfully, letting his minicon know of his trespass.

"Perhaps _you_ should be doing the same, Lazerbeak, instead running off your vocalizer and throwing selfish fits."

Lazerbeak hung his head in secession, knowing full well he had deserved that remand. Clicking softly, he asked for his master’s forgiveness and for a new task to complete.

"You would do well to remember this, Lazerbeak. I am strict because I worry for you and your siblings. Do not think me cruel, but concerned." He reached out and placed a hand on Lazerbeak's back, stroking him gently. Consoled, the minicon gazed upon his master.

"I understand, Soundwave, why you do the things you do. I am thankful for your care and attention. But even still, am I not allowed to be upset or disgruntled? Surely you'd have me aware of my feelings?" Lazerbeak slipped into the familiar way of talking with Soundwave. The spymaster was much more educated than most bots, and an intelligence such as his was not to be wasted with dull speech.

"Of course I'd have you aware, Lazerbeak. You must be knowledgeable of your emotions so that they do not interfere with your work. Emotions are important to us, especially in our business, as we are dependent on them to lead us to the _richest of secrets_."

Soundwave said this with an air of pride; unlike the mad-scientist, he treasured his emotions. Yes, he did keep them well hidden and somewhat dormant in certain situations, but he did not ignore them or shut them out entirely. How else could he detect the edge in someone's voice as they lied, or trace a buried fear in the optics of another? The spy used his emotions and instincts frequently, just as he had trained his minicons to do, and had no shame in feeling.

Bots had surmised this was one of several reasons as to why Soundwave and Shockwave were not on good terms. One had no emotion and was a borderline psychopath, the other a spymaster who used emotion to deduce many secrets.

Lazerbeak dipped his head in respect for his master.

"Master, may I speak candidly?"

"Of course."

He hesitated.

"Does Ravage's mission pertain to a certain alien creature who may or may not have been obtained within the last few vorns?"

Soundwave paused, a painful hiss rose in his chest but he calmed it. He took a deep intake of atmosphere, savoring the chemical cocktail.

"Yes."

He said no more. Lazerbeak was more unsettled by this one-word response than he would've been by a scolding. Soundwave eyed him and continued.

"Anything else, Lazerbeak?" His voice leaked poison and stung like acid, even if he did not mean for it to.

"No, master."

That was a _terrible_ idea. Why did he even ask? He knew the answer. Primus knows Soundwave knew what he was going to ask! _Foolish! Plain foolish!_

He ducked out of the room quickly, for he knew his presence was no longer wanted, and flew down the maze of passageways until he located Ravage's signal.

 _The Energon Refinery? Of course._ He liked to take stasis naps there. The smells lulled him into a "blissful peace unlike anything you could imagine" as Ravage had once said. Lazerbeak rolled his optics and scoffed at his brother's whimsical fancy and poetic demeanor. The felid was dark and deadly, and yet still morbidly festive.

Lazerbeak sighed heavily and landed on a high beam in the rafters. He tucked his dark silver wings close to his body, looking more ill-tempered rather than his normal, lofty self by the cycle. He sat and lingered for a small while, enjoying the brief respite from his dark business. An idea was turning in his mind, devious, yet to be done out of pity. He brooded for a long while, turning his mind inside and out as he conspired.

He examined his surroundings as the last pieces of his nefarious plan fell into place. Several of the hallways had had their paneling removed for whatever reason and now the rafters were exposed ( _leaving him plenty of room to avoid being detected_ ) and open ventilation shafts for easy access. The room he wanted was a victim to this structural weakness and would not be impenetrable by any means.

Chattering in the gloomy darkness, the minicon took flight on thin wings to his destination. He never dipped lower than the rafters and on several occasions he had to land on a shadowed ledge to hide from the sight of passing soldiers and such. Never once did his nerve falter though; he carried on full of malignant intent fueled by a saddened fury.

When he finally reached the last passage, he snaked through a ventilation shaft and landed on the leading beam of the rafters. The door was before him, locked and monitored by several cameras from several viewpoints. He glowered in anger. The cameras would be a problem. While they couldn't see him now, if he were to use the door, they would have him on record. _That would spoil his plan!_ Imagine the uproar and blood feud that would ensue if Megatron bore witness to one of his top soldiers, his closest advisors, attempting to sabotage and harm one another?! Lazerbeak growled in exasperation.

 _Time to do some thinking!_ He hissed to himself.

He settled himself rather comfortably and waited by the door. Perhaps he should just enter through the vent above the door? Ah, but it emptied at floor-level, and he absolutely deplored being that low.

"That would be my very, _very_ last choice; my only option, my last hope!"

~~~

With every idea exhausted and his window closing, Lazerbeak carefully and quietly undid the fasteners of the vent face. He mumbled to himself the entire time of how unpleasant it was going to be, but he hardened himself as he faced the gaping maw of the shaft. A cold draft was sucked in, pulling at his thin wings. He shivered, both in the temperature change and a slight fear ( _but he wouldn't admit it_ ).

He threw himself in before he lost his steely nerve. It went straight across the whole distance of the room to open on the opposite side of the door, and squished into a dark corner near shelves upon shelves. The vent wasn't wide enough for his wings, so he walked as lightly as possible so as not to alert the room's occupants. When he reached the descending curve, he opened his wings as wide as he could and gently half-slid, half-fell down the vent. He landed with a soft _click_ , but he was sure no one would have heard it!

Peering out of the cover, he saw Shockwave walk towards the back of the room and heard him fumbling around with a case and various objects made of glass. The scientist passed out of view and Lazerbeak grumbled. He hated that mech. He hated him with a fury so bright that his very spark sizzled at the mere sight of him. But there was one creature he hated even more. A creature so vile, so wicked, so undeniably disgusting that it didn't deserve its own life ( _of course this was his own opinion_ ).

He cast his beady optics around the room, searching for the horrible thing. He saw it leap quite gracefully from Shockwave's main desk to a shelf, in which it leapt once more into a glass box.

 _How dull-witted the beast must be if it locks itself up!_ Lazerbeak snorted with contempt.

He watched it pace for several long moments ( _exceedingly long, mind you_ ) and got himself all riled up. Before he could enact his plan and besiege the slagging thing, the main entrance hissed open! Lazerbeak activated his sensory nullifiers and slinked further back to hide.

 _Slag!_ He hissed inwardly, biting down a much less appropriate remark.

As to who entered the room, he was unaware. Shockwave had turned to face the visitor, and blocked whatever chance of seeing the mystery mech from Lazerbeak. The minicon still had his exemplary senses though! Listening past the rough, cold voice of the mad scientist, he heard light footsteps and a soft but stern voice.   


A voice that was all too familiar.

_Soundwave!_

Why did he not think to track his master's movement?! A fool's folly that would've been anyways, as the mech was prone to masking his signature regardless of who might be seeking him.

He heard them, talking softly in gentle tones, yet still they bore their edges to each other, like a sword with frozen edges yet alight with the hottest fire at the center. _What were they discussing?_ He listened closer, nearly straining his capabilities.

Shockwave was speaking now. His tone bore a deep seriousness, and his words carried a heavy burden.

"I will care for it, Soundwave. She shall find her use among us."

"So it is a female? What of its species? Have you identified it?" Soundwave spoke now, betraying his genuine interest in the creature.

"Yes, and no. I do not know the species yet, but I do know that this particular subject is female. And what's more, Soundwave, is something you _will not_ _believe_." Shockwave's voice rose with heightened excitement.

"And what, pray tell, would I not believe?" Soundwave was trying to be coy, but his excitement got the better of him.

"In all of your knowledge, Soundwave, have you ever known an organic organism to survive off of energon alone?"

"No. I need not even try to think, it is impossible."

"Well, she _does_. This spectacular little creature does just that." He pointed at his little beast, who now had contented itself by sitting on its haunches and watching the two mechs converse. Shockwave had long since replaced her small glass tank with a much larger display tank. It covered nearly the entire top of the shelf and reached higher than the old one. Soundwave looked at the creature, her horned head facing from one to the other as they spoke; bright blue eyes unblinking. Her white hide shone in the pale light, the cold, white color of the moon on a chilly night. Shockwave did so _enjoy_ admiring his little one.

Soundwave turned to face her, his dark optics glittering in both amazement and realistic disbelief. She stared back, holding his gaze with a stoic glare and an unbridled intelligence hidden behind it. She didn't blink, just stared deep into his own optics. He noticed the round white orbs rimmed with the rich blue of a starless night sky. It was deep, endless, but not empty. It was primal and powerful, yet… _elegant_. He felt odd meeting her eyes; it unnerved the spy, and it takes quite a bit to unnerve him.

"It... She seems _intelligent_. Her eyes have a certain... volume or depth, if you would." Soundwave commented, still staring at the little thing. When he broke the stare, he felt a weight leave him and his spark cool.

Shockwave's spark rumbled in no small amount of pride, but he sequestered it within him and concealed it from the other mech. He knew quite well how hypnotic her moonlit eyes could be, and how the spy lingered in his gaze. He didn't manage to hide his pride from the little one though, as she flicked her ears and lifted her head high, pushing out her chest. She was gleaming, basking in this indirect praise from a stranger.

"She is fairly intelligent. She managed to detect Ravage while he was spying on us." Shockwave was playing coy; he loved the moment of discovery and astounding his fellows.

Soundwave faltered and he turned his burning optics on the scientist.

"That is preposterous! How could she have detected him? Not by scent alone, nor by sight or sound, so how?" _Now Soundwave knew how Ravage had gotten all those injuries…_

"She is a marvelous beast, Soundwave. We should be thankful that Buzzsaw managed to retrieve her."

Soundwave froze and his optics seemed to dim; he properly excused himself and left without another word.

~~~

Lazerbeak hung about in the vents no longer than his master hung about in the lab. He'd heard all he needed to hear; his master still hated the beast and that gave him plenty of reason to kill it. But if it could detect Ravage, who’s to say it hadn't already found him? He left in a hurry back to his and his brother's quarters.

_He'd try his plan again._

_He just needed more time._

~~~

"Shockwave?"

"Yes, little one?" Shockwave turned to the beast. Her eyes were half closed and her ears hung limp. She was wrapped up in the deep blue cloth with her tail round her body and her chin resting on it. Her language skills had greatly progressed, as Shockwave had been giving her speech lessons and having long conversations with her.

"Why did you make him sad?" Her voice was soft.

"Who?"

"The shadow-walker, Soundwave. You were talking with him and then he just... stopped. I could feel his sadness."

"Hmm." He paused. _How would he explain this?_

"Do you know what death is, little one?"

"Yes. It's when your life ends and your soul leaves your body to return to the stars." That was what she knew in her bones; she needed no one to explain. Ever since her parents had visited her, she’d had dreams of the stars and souls passing through moonlit skies. Shockwave thought hard. While she understood the concept, she went about it differently. No doubt this was due to her genetic inheritance of knowledge from some _primitive_ belief system.

"Well, Soundwave has lost someone important to him. That is what makes him sad." Shockwave was surprised that the spy master had made that emotional slip. The scientist said nothing to him about it and allowed him to leave with the impression that Soundwave was perceived as stoic as ever.

"Buzzsaw."

"Yes. Do you know how?" _She is very perceptive_.

"No."

How to say this without causing guilt? Perhaps there was no way? Would it not be easier to just tell her the _truth_?

"He was killed by an enemy while he was retrieving you, when you were nothing but an egg."

She said nothing. She closed her eyes and sighed. A few silent moments passed before she spoke again.

"May Mother-Moon guide him back home, so his soul may rest among the stars. To trade one's life for another is the greatest of honors and the noblest of sacrifices. May you shine brightly in the heavens, Buzzsaw." Her voice was a whisper. Shockwave realized she had uttered a prayer, to whom he was unsure, but that was most definitely a prayer. _She knows much, but is unaware of just how much._

She turned her eyes on him. Her gaze was fierce and strong, burning with cold emotion.

"He will not be forgotten, Shockwave. I will honor him in my actions." She paused and sighed again.

"Does Soundwave hate me? Does he blame me for Buzzsaw's death?" Her tone changed. It seemed more child-like. She'd lost her wisdom, her maturity. She was as she appeared: a helpless, lost child in a foreign world.

"He does not blame you, little one. Soundwave is not so trivial as to ignore the factor of war. Buzzsaw was a casualty and he knows this." Shockwave could see her shoulders slump in peace, but she was still troubled.

"That does not ease his pain."

"No."

"I wish I could help him, to ease what suffering he endures." She was forlorn, torn by a guilt she did not own. She lay down her head and sighed deeply, her eyelids heavy.

"You can't. There is nothing you can do for him."

"Maybe if I spoke with him..." Shockwave cut her off with a sharp glare.

"No."

She stared at him, shocked by his sudden aggressiveness. Her mouth hung slightly agape and her eyes narrowed to gleaming slits.

"From now on, little one, I would like for you to pretend to be less intelligent. You must appear to be nothing more than a dumb brute." He said this slowly, allowing the firmness of his voice to settle over her. She calmed, but not completely.

"You must never leave my lab and you mustn’t communicate with anyone else but me." He turned and met her tired eyes, holding her attention. She blinked with hard eyes, but said nothing.

"This is for your own safety."


	11. For Your Forgiveness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that." - Martin Luther King, Jr.

She _had_ to do something.

 _But what?_ Shockwave had forbidden her to speak to Soundwave, to apologize for the death of Buzzsaw, to ask for his forgiveness. Shockwave said it was not safe for her beyond the confines of his lab and however true that may be, she couldn’t remain here forever! She was effectively trapped within her home. Groaning without reserve, the young beast expressed her disgruntlement.

Pacing about her nest as usual, as she had been doing the past several solar cycles, she grumbled to herself about Shockwave's apparent insensitivity.

 _I must apologize!_ A new guilt she had not known before weighed heavily upon her tiny being. It pushed down on her, buried itself in her mind. She couldn't think straight.

Suddenly she froze, her lithe white body stuck in place. She perked her ears and purred. An idea had formed in her stubby-horned head!

_I must sneak away when Shockwave is out! He is gone often enough; all I must do is learn his patterns. Then I shall slip out through the vents, like Ravage does. Simple enough, yes?_

She settled down in her nest and half-closed her rich blue eyes. Having paced herself to exhaustion, she curled up and wrapped herself in her long tail. Rumbling deep in her chest, the little creature began to dream.

_I must have patience._

~~~

Her young mind was plagued by death in the night. She tossed and turned in her sleep, writhing in pain at the sight and stench of it as it overwhelmed her from within. Another spasm rocked her, shaking her to the core. In her mind, dead forms littered the ground in different stages of decay; their bodies were swollen and torn, bruised and seeping with lifelessness. From them leaked their burning red and icy blue blood that soaked into the drenched earth. The air itself was dead, dark and unmoving. It was thick and heavy, laden with the sickly-sweet smell of rot. She could not move or speak. There was no wind to move the smell that stung her lungs, no rain to wash away the blood that stuck to her paws.

She was running, searching for a way out, but the thick blood pulled at her limbs and held up any progress she made. She couldn’t breathe and she couldn’t think. Panic welled up in her chest and sobbed a low, desperate plea. Looking into the sky she only dark forms of winged creatures, but only was close enough to hear as it chanted through the death.

_“Blood upon your claws, blood within your maw. You are to blame for the death on your name!”_

A chorus of screeching accompanied it as they echoed the omen overhead. Moon-white skin trembled in fear and she closed her eyes tightly. She raised her head to scream at the dark shapes to fly away, but no sound could be made. She tried again.

A roar.

It was not from her throat though. She opened her eyes to see a world of great green fields, the earth dry and cool. Something green was soft beneath her paws and the sky was bright with stars. A great white moon hung overhead and its soft glow melted onto her skin. She breathed deeply and sighed.

"Where am I?" She knew she had _said_ the words, but it seemed only as if she had thought them.

_"Child, why do you plague yourself so?"_

The voice was soft, deep, and rumbled through her bones. She could not find the speaker. Whoever it was, their voice sounded much larger than even Shockwave's ( _and he’s loud_ ). It was everywhere, came from every direction.

"Who are you?" She called out, willing it to be a friend. Perhaps she was to receive another gift?

 _“That is not important now."_ It sounded surprised at the question, as if it fully expected the creature to know who it was.

She huffed and frowned at the voice.

 _"What is important, my child, is that you know who you are."_ It added softly.

"I know who I am." She said to the voice, he curiosity rising.

 _"What is your name then, child?"_ The voice asked. The utmost patience seeped from the deep tones.

"My name? It... It is..." Then she realized she didn't have a true name. She was always called "little one" or “little moon” by Shockwave. _Was that her name?_ Suddenly she worried if she would always be small and if she'd never have a true name.

 _"You name is not of that world, child. Your mother named you long before you hatched."_ Its voice sounded so soft. She wondered again who it was that was speaking to her.

"My mother?" She whispered, remembering the odd form that had given her the first gift. "What was her name?"

_“Your mother was Stormsong, High Queen of the Lunarians."_

"Stormsong... What about my father?"

The voice chuckled at the creature’s excitement.

 _"His name was Skycrawler, High King of the Lunarians."_ Her ears twitched.

"What's a King and Queen, and what's a Lunarian?"

 _"All in good time, dear child. I will tell you everything when it becomes relevant for you to know such things."_ The voice hushed her swell of questions.

_"Besides, don't you want to know your name?"_

"Yes, please!" She jumped up and chirped loudly. The voice laughed a warm, comforting sound.

_"You are Skydance, High Princess to the Lunarians."_

"Skydance..."She whispered her name over and over, letting it melt into her tongue and throat, to blend into her mind and body, to become her. She felt her whole body tingle with a strange power.

"So what is a Lunarian?" She chirped quickly.

_"It is what you are, dear Skydance. A powerful being linked very deeply with the Draconian moon, Draco Lunaria. It is where you draw your power from."_

"What power?" Her spark was racing now, her body shaking. She felt something in her changing!

_“Peace, child. You will know all in due time. But first, I wish to help you.”_

“Help me? With what?”

_“Why does your soul cry out with guilt?”_

Skydance sat upon her haunches. She felt the dark weight return and she shivered.

“I feel responsible for the death of another.”

 _“Are you truly to blame? Did you kill them?”_ Its voice was a gentle whisper.

“No… but I caused them to be killed. It was my fault, indirectly.”

_“Did you want to have them dead?”_

“No! I was only an egg…” The voice sighed and she felt a breeze over her shoulder.

_“Then an egg is guilty of murder? Child, you weren’t aware of your own life. You could not have possible taken one from another.”_

Skydance hung her head.

“I still feel bad. I want to make it better.”

 _“Of course. You been given a true gift, Skydance…”_ She looked up and saw the world around her becoming blurry. She could something soft around and familiar smells swarmed her.

_“The gift of Life.”_

And like that, she sat bolt upright in her nest. She blinked slowly and then began pacing about her glass nest in confusion and exhilaration. Leaping clear of its walls, she paced around the floor for more room. Climbing the great heights of Shockwave's lab, she attempted once more to reach the window, as Shockwave had told her it was called, and leapt. Her hooked claws out, she caught the ledge and pulled her hindquarters up the rest of the way. Sitting up in front of the window, she was greeted by thousands of stars, sparkling brightly against the black of space.

She sighed deeply and lay down against the cold of the glass. Her tail hung limply from the ledge, swaying gently. She wanted to dream of the Voice again, so that she might ask it more questions. Her spark's pace quickened at the thought of Voice. A wholeness washed over her.

Raising her head high to peer at one of Cybertron's silver moons, she felt some strange sense come over her. She felt a foreign strength, but it was like touching the tip of an iceberg.

 _Wait, what's an iceberg? How do I know that word?_ She blinked.

Shaking her head, the little creature tried to process everything that the Voice had told her.

"My mother was a queen, _whatever that is_ , and her name was Stormsong. I wonder what she was like?" She whispered, playing with her paws. Perhaps she was kind and strong, merciful and good. She had met her mother's spirit, which meant her mother had died. She wondered how it had happened.

The same tingle from before spread through her body again. It rippled over her white skin, chilling her. It felt as if her mother had come to her side, perhaps to comfort her.

The door to the lab hissed open, and Skydance knew she wouldn't make it back to the tank on time.

 _Oh well_. She rested her head on her paws and watched her caretaker.

Shockwave lumbered in as always, right on time, and sat down at his desk and began typing away. After only a few moments did he notice the absence of his precious beast.

"Where have you gone little moon?" His voice rumbled like gears, a familiar sound to the creature. Shockwave knew that the pale creature liked to wander, but he wondered where she would have gone.

She huffed and climbed down quickly, crossed the room, and leapt onto the scientist's desk. She caught his one optic as she took long strides to his desk.

"Little one, you must try to stay near your tank, should someone other than myself come in..." He scolded her. She raised her head defiantly, cutting him off.

"It's Skydance." Her voice called upon the deep authority borne into her blood, the awareness of which she had only just come across. My mother was a _Queen_ , she whispered to herself. _All of these words, these things Shockwave has not told me about… I can feel them turning in my blood._

"What?" He sounded genuinely confused.

"My name is Skydance." She puffed out her chest and closed her eyes. She was attempting to look rather regal.

Shockwave scoffed. "And who told you that, hmm?"

The little Lunarian thought quickly. She couldn't say what was true, for she knew quite well Shockwave would dismiss it as a hopeless fancy. Thinking rapidly, she gave the most convenient excuse.

"I did. I named myself."

Shockwave tilted his head, his optic narrowing. He looked as if to ask a question, but didn’t. He gave a soft chuff of hot air and turned.

"Well then, little Skydance, if that is what you wish to be called…”

Skydance smiled and wagged her lengthy tail. Purring, she nudged his hand with her horned head, her anger and defiance melting away.

"Thank you."

~~~

It had been nearly ten solar cycles since Skydance had been named and had formulated her plan to meet with Soundwave. Tonight, she would put everything in place, apologize, and be back before Shockwave even noticed.

In her tank now, she nosed about her blue-nest and made it lumpy and big, as if she were asleep beneath its soft color. Breathing deeply, she cleared her tank and crept towards the vent. Careful not to make even the slightest sound, or else risk waking the sleeping giant in the adjoining room, she slipped through the vent's cover and pulled it closed behind her.

_Phase one, complete!_

She immediately set about orienting herself inside the ventilation system's complex pathways, and hurried on. Twisting and turning, she had peeked into several rooms, all empty and dark, before she found the correct one.

It was a fairly large room with dark walls and a dark air about it. Skydance was afraid of the room, but she swallowed her fear in the thought of not being able to apologize. Creeping in, she scented the room. She recognized Ravage's scent, but it was stale, and there was another she didn't recognize. The other, much more new and potent, was that of Soundwave's.

_The Shadow-Walker._

Stalking along the floor, hidden in shadow, she searched the room for the silvery mech. She entered a smaller room, which Skydance saw was filled with monitors of every size on a massive workspace. Standing before it was Soundwave.

Stock still, she wondered if he had sensed her yet. Walking slowly, her question was answered by a quiet, even voice.

"Step from the shadows, beast."

The voice was empty and flat, but lined with... ache?

She froze, but she listened. Striding towards the mech, she raised her head and stared him down, her tail lashing over the cold floor. Skydance's brilliant blue eyes seemed to burn with an intensity beyond anything she felt before. She knew she had grown since she'd last seen him; Skydance's head reached up to half of his lower leg.

 

"What are you doing outside of your cage, _beast_?" Soundwave asked roughly. His voice was no longer empty. It was thick sorrow and confusion and the desire to be simply angry.

Skydance laid back her ears and snarled softly.

"I am no beast, Soundwave." Her voice was full of confidence.

The mech froze. He did not know the creature was intelligent, nor that it could speak Cybertronian! He had gazed upon its moon-like pupils before and saw the depths of consciousness, but now, they were full of unbridled intelligence. Its eyes burned like a blazing star of icy, royal blues.

Soundwave sat down in his nearby chair, sighing deeply. He was short of words. Soundwave had wished the creature dead upon its discovery, but overtime his sense had returned to him. He still felt some animosity towards the creature because it was alive and Buzzsaw was not, but looking at it now, he began to see why Ravage thought it was destined as such to have survived. That Buzzsaw would die so that this beast might live. Soundwave had waved it off at first, but now he was being forced to consider it.

Sensing the numb quiet, Skydance leapt up to Soundwave's desk with grace and settled softly next to his resting arm. She sat upright, her tail wrapped around her haunches. She blinked at him, willing for his forgiveness.

"I've come seeking forgiveness." She whispered it, fearing Soundwave's reaction.

He didn’t respond. Skydance continued carefully.

"I was told that the bot that found me was killed," She paused when she heard Soundwave flinch inwardly. A little hiss, a click in his chest.

"I wanted to say that I'm sorry and to offer my deepest condolences. I am responsible for the death of one of your own, and for that, I am truly sorry."

She bowed her head and fell quiet. Several moments passed like this before Soundwave spoke.

"You did well," he paused, "to sneak into my quarters completely unnoticed."

"Soundwave, I..." She stammered. He raised his hand to stop her.

"You can make something good out of Buzzsaw's death. Ravage seems to think it was fate that killed him and let you live."

"I'm sorry." Skydance repeated.

"Don't apologize. You are not responsible for his death. _You did not kill him_. An Autobot did." His voice was sharp, laced with a heavy pain.

Skydance felt relief wash over her, a weight lifted from her body. She looked up from her feet and meet Soundwave's deep red eyes.

"How can I make something good of his death?" Skydance asked.

Soundwave eyed her carefully and then leaned in close to her white face.

"You must live. You must live for as long as you can."


End file.
